


Another Undertale

by SimonKilnsworth



Series: Another Undertale [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Retelling but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2018-05-26
Packaged: 2018-08-08 04:46:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 64
Words: 462,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7743922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SimonKilnsworth/pseuds/SimonKilnsworth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just another story that never was, but could have been. Fate has woven many around the time of the monster’s final days trapped underground.  Some have good endings, some do not. The best is one where all are happy but one. And no matter how much one many struggle, a better ending can never be reached. For every avenue has been explored, every option tested. Or have they?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

He wasn’t sure why he had decided to climb the mountain that day. Perhaps it was simply because he had not in a long time, perhaps he wished to relive a part of his life long gone, or perhaps it called to him for reasons beyond his understanding. Regardless of the reason, he climbed. He climbed, and he fell.

 

He opened his eyes only to learn that it made no difference. Darkness filled his vision and pain filled the rest of him. He tried to lift himself up, but fire shot through his right arm and he fell back down with a grunt. He had never broken a bone before, but he guessed that was what it had to be. Stuck on the floor, his panicked breaths echoed off unseen walls.

 _Where am I? What happened? Am I dead?_ These thoughts and more flooded his mind until his heart pounded in his ears. _I was… driving home, but I stopped to take a walk, to clear my head…_ He took deep breaths to try to force himself to calm down and was surprised to find that it worked. It would not have a year ago. He tried to pick himself up again, slower this time. He moved his legs; neither felt broken, but they were sore as if he had run several miles. His left arm felt the jelly, but it did what he told it to with only a little difficulty.

Steadying himself, he searched blindly for a wall. And when he found one he was surprised that the wall was smooth and warm as if it had spent the day in the sun. As he thought this, pale light suddenly filled the room. Shocked, he looked up. High above him a fissure of sky broke the blackness of the ceiling. In its center was the moon, almost full, as it appeared from behind a cloud. Last he remembered, it had not been close to nighttime.

The cavern now had enough light for him to see his surroundings. The walls were a smooth, sheer gray stone. They reflected the moonlight softly as if they were polished. Along the base of the rock were piles of rubble, one of which was by his feet. They looked too geometric to be natural. If he had to guess, he would have said that it had been a column at one point. The floor was loose dirt, blown or washed in from the hole above. In the center, where the light hit, there grew a patch of yellow flowers.

He looked back to the fissure, high above him. “That fall should’ve killed me.” He thought aloud, and immediately regretted it. A noise from behind him made him jump. It sounded almost like high-pitched laughter. Trying to pinpoint where it could have come from, he saw an opening he could have sworn was not there a moment ago. It was not a natural crack in the rock. It was several feet taller than him with a rounded top and wide enough for two abreast. It had the same polished look as the rest of the rock.

Peering into it, he could not make out much. The light stopped just a few feet into the tunnel making it seem endless. For a moment, he strained himself to listen if the sound came again. Perhaps it had just been water dripping down from above.

Seeing no other option than remaining stuck there, he cautiously entered the tunnel. He walked with his hand still against the wall, half to guide him and half to keep himself upright on his shaking legs, for what felt like several minutes before he thought he saw the ground begin to grow lighter in front of him.

Faster now, he limped towards the glow and stopped to stare at where he found himself. The large dome looked like an overgrown courtyard straight out of a castle in a fantasy story. The dusty ground at his feet turned into paved stone walkways that crisscrossed throughout the cavern. Vines and grass grew over them in places, spilling out from their fenced-off squares and crawling up marble columns that, here, were still standing, though they held up only air now; whatever roof they had once supported was gone. Moonlight streamed in from a fissure in the ceiling as it had where he had woken up. Directly beneath the hole, was a patch of grass strangely clear of extraneous growth. Unlike everywhere else, the circular patch looked as if someone had been by to trim it just that morning.

In the center of the circle, there was a single flower. He missed it at first because it was still just a bud. But as he looked at it closely, he saw that it was moving, its bud lifting itself into the air. At first, he thought it must be one of those flowers that bloomed only in moonlight. But as the flower opened, it did not turn toward the moon as he had read. Instead it turned toward _him._ The flower’s petals were golden and the blossom grew to be as large as a sunflower, though it stayed squat to the ground. Its center almost looked like a face.

“Howdy! You look kinda lost.” The flower spoke. The center of the blossom moved like putty being molded as the words were formed; voice high-pitched like an excited child’s. Its mouth then split into a smile that did not touch eyes that looked all too real.

“What the…?” he whispered to himself in shock as he backed away from the patch of grass. The flower continued, moving as if in gesture to everything around them.

“Well, allow me to be the first to welcome you to the Underground.” Its gaze then went back to him. “I’m Flowey, Flowey the flower.” The flower waited as if it expected a response. However he could do nothing but stare in fear and disbelief. Anger flashed across the flower’s face for an instant, but it was gone just as fast. After a moment, it went on. Concern was writ on its face, but it still held the same cheery tone. “You seem hurt.” Its eyes fell on his arm, still clutched to his side. The flower’s smile grew wider. “Then this is the perfect time to start learning how things work down here!”

A glow from below him broke his gaze away from the talking flower. Looking down he saw it was coming from his chest; a soft, red light vaguely in the shape of a heart. Thinking something was on him, he swatted at his chest, but it stayed there. He tore off his sweatshirt; it was ripped anyway, and lifted up his shirt only to find that whatever was causing the light was _in_ his chest. With the obscuring fabric gone, it looked even more like a heart. “See that?” The flower said, still sounding cheery. “That’s your soul: the very culmination of your being. It looks pretty weak since you’re hurt. Here, I’ll help you out.” The flower shook itself and several white specks flew into the air and hung there. “These are magical seeds. They can heal you. Try reaching out to them.”

The seeds began to drift toward him as if nudged by a breeze, but the air was still. In his state of shock, he did reach out to them and, as he did, they seemed to move faster, as if they were drawn to him. They clung to his fingers as they touched him, but they did not heal. Instead, they sprouted into vines that wrapped themselves around his forearm, constricting tighter and tighter until he was sure it would break as well. Large thorns dug into his skin and he screamed in pain. The vines and thorns grew larger by the second and he fell to his knees in agony.

The flower let out a maniacal laugh, and when it spoke again its cheery tone was gone. “You idiot. You’re in the world of monsters now.” The golden flower loomed over him. It looked demonic through his tear filled eyes. “Down here it’s kill or be killed.” It let loose another bout of laughter as the vines continued to grow, now almost to Ryan’s shoulder. He squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to wake up from this nightmare, but the pain did not stop. The laughter cut through his screams and he started to think that this might be his end.

Then, suddenly, the pain was gone. He opened his eyes slowly, afraid to see the mangled mess he was sure his arm must be now, pain or no. But it looked normal. There was not a mark on it. He turned it over, half expecting the movement to undo some strange illusion, but he seemed to be fine. Could he have imagined it? Then, he noticed the blood gathering in the spaces between the stones in the walkway and knew it was all too real. He looked up, trying to forget he saw that. The flower was gone. Instead, a figure was running toward him. At first he thought it was a human in purple robes, but as it came closer he saw that it did not have the face of a human, but rather that of a goat with snow white fur and small horns on top of its head.

His fear quickly returned and he tried to back away as it approached him, but the monster grabbed him by the shoulders and held him in place. “It is all right, my child.” It said it in a soothing voice. If he had to guess, he would say that it was female. The elongated jaw of the monster did not impede her speech. He looked into her eyes and saw care and concern. Her eyes seemed strangely human for her face, but instead of making it seem even more unnatural it had the opposite effect. Somehow, the monster made him feel safe. She smiled, her face seemed to glow brighter than the moon, and she said, “Here, you are still hurt. Let me heal you.” She took her hands off his shoulders and held them out before her. He flinched in expectation of another trick. But, in an instant, all of the pain and fatigue in his body was gone, even the pain in his broken arm. “There. That should do it.” She said as she lowered her arms. But she checked him up and down for anything wrong anyway. “Are you alright, my child? Can you stand?”

He did not know how to answer her questions. His mind felt like it had been through a tropical storm. “W-where am I? What’s happening?” he stammered, “I was hiking a-and then I woke up in a cave and then that flower… What is this place?” The shock of everything was finally setting in; he could not stop himself from shaking.

The monster grabbed him by the shoulders. “Calm down.” She told him softly. “It is alright. Nothing will hurt you now. I will answer all of your questions soon. But first, let us get out of this dark cave, all right? We will get you cleaned up and put some food in you, you look like you have not eaten in days, and then we will deal with everything else. Can you stand?” She asked again.

“Calm down?” He was anything but calm. “I almost died, twice! You’re a monster! I have to get out of here. I have to get home!”

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. “It is all right to be afraid, my child. I would be too. I am sorry this has happened to you.” She pulled apart enough to look at him. “But we should not spend any more time in this dreary place. Would you not rather be sitting by a fire with a nice meal?”

He calmed down enough to realize he was being ungrateful. Monster or not, she saved his life. Still trying to stop his shaking, he nodded.

He tried to get to his feet. The soreness in his body really was gone. Shifting his weight to lift himself off the ground with both arms, he barely put any weight on them before sharp pain returned to his right arm and he collapsed face first into the ground with a grunt.

With a panicked yelp, the monster helped him back into a sitting position. “What happened?” she asked, worriedly.

“I think my arm’s broken.” He said through gritted teeth. “Must have happened when I fell.”

“That cannot be,” The monster said in confusion, “I had wards in place that should’ve –” she cut herself off and shook her head. “Too late to worry about that now, I suppose. Come, my child, we will see what we can do about that when we are away from here.”

This time, she helped him to his feet. He kept his right arm across his chest. “We should do something about that now, though.” She thought out loud. She began searching for something that would be able to stop his arm from moving too much.

He leaned down and picked up the tattered sweatshirt he had tossed aside. “Here,” He said as he held it out to her. “This should work.”

Together, they managed to get his arm into a makeshift sling. Satisfied, the monster took his free hand. “I am Toriel.” She said, leading him away from the circle of grass. “What is your name, my child?”

“Ryan.” He responded automatically. A million questions still ran through his head but, in truth, he wanted to be out of this cave just as much as Toriel, so he held them back for the time being.

“Well, Ryan.” She said, smiling warmly. “It may be bittersweet, but welcome to the Underground.” A shiver ran down Ryan’s spine as she led him back into the darkness.


	2. Fallen Down

They wandered through the dark for a long time. Ryan did not even bother trying to keep track of where they were going with all of the twists and turns they made, but Toriel seemed to be having no problem finding the path in the lack of light, so he trusted her to not get them lost. The only thing he knew for sure was that they were going further down. The gentle slope of the path they took told him as much. Just as he was about to ask how much further they needed to go, he became aware of light ahead of them. Soon, the tunnel became bright enough for him to at least see where he was walking. He also noticed that they passed many side tunnels that Toriel did not even glance at, one every couple of feet. With that many other paths, they must have passed through a substantial maze. He was suddenly much more thankful for the monster’s presence. Even if he had somehow survived that earlier encounter, he would have certainly died trying to find his way out of that.

They turned a corner and the light increased dramatically. It was not the glow of moonlight this time, he realized, it was something else. The tunnel opened into another elongated dome that seemed craved out of the rock. Squinting while his eyes adjusted, he saw that the light was coming from several torches that lined the walls of the cavern just above his head and went up the sides of an ancient stone staircase that crawled up the walls on both sides of him before curving towards an equally as old looking doorway in the back wall. The stone of both was chipped and cracked all over from age, but somehow still seemed as sound as the day it had been constructed. It was the kind of thing that looked like it would last forever. No gate or door blocked the opening. Leaves floated through the air, pulled by a breeze that must be coming from the doorway, to gather in piles around the base of the stairs but there were no trees to be seen. No hole pierced this ceiling, high above him, and yet the smoke from the torches did not build at the top. In fact, the torches seemed to not give off smoke at all and the air was not smoky or even stuffy, for that matter. It was also neither humid nor dry.

Toriel let go of his hand as he stared in wonder. It was hard to believe all of this was just under a mountain he had lived by for almost his whole life. “That is the entrance to the catacombs that lead to the ruins.” She explained to him. He simply continued trying to process what he was seeing, barely hearing her. The monster stepped in front of him and made sure he heard what she said next. “They are very dangerous, so stay close to me, my child.” She waited for him to nod that he understood then walked up to the base of the stairs and waited for him to follow.

He took a moment to look back the way they had come. Danger did not exactly sound appealing to him. Forward was definitely the only option, but he had had enough excitement today already. What happened to safe by a fire? This monster may still be leading him to a death even worse than that flower had planned for him.

No, she had saved his life twice already it the short time since she found him. He should trust her more than that. He swallowed and joined her at the stairs.

As they walked to the entrance, Ryan got a closer look at the stone that surrounded the rectangular opening. The stones were so well fitted to each other that it did not look like anything was used to hold them together. He would even go as far as saying it had been carved out of the wall to look like that. They crossed into a small room lit by more torches.

The room was just wide enough for them to stand side by side. Ryan felt like he had stepped into a medieval castle, with arrow slits in the walls that revealed only the darkness of additional rooms and a grate in the ceiling that he could only connect with images of oil being poured on unlucky attackers. It also looked… newer than the outside had. The stones had very few cracks, if any, and there were swirls of light purple throughout. The floor, however, looked as if it had not been set properly. Some of the rounded stones were cracked in half and others rose whole inches above the rest of the floor. A door at the other end of the room stood closed with no visible handle or other way of opening it. Toriel walked over several of the raised stones, which became flush with the rest of the floor as she did, and then went over to the far wall. She slid her finger down what he thought was an arrow slit and, suddenly, the door rumbled opened, sliding into the wall from the side. “That was a puzzle.” She explained as she turned back to him. “You will find that these catacombs and the rest of the ruins are filled with them, so you should adjust yourself to the sight of them now. Some of them may be very complicated or well-hidden. In addition to traps and puzzles, there are also many false paths and dead ends.”

“Sounds like a great place to live.” He commented, not meaning it to be rude.

She continued her explanation in a more defensive tone. “This place was originally designed to prevent humans from making it further into the Underground or to keep them busy until someone could deal with them as need be. That purpose is… no longer necessary, and I have dealt with most of the dangers, but there are still some things that remain functional. I cannot express enough how important it is that you stay close.”

He swallowed nervously again.

“Come, we still have a ways to go.” She stood at the door with her hand held out to him.

Ryan was still trying to rationalize everything that was happening; trying to form some sort of explanation he could cling to until he received a real one. But he was only starting to get a headache. With some effort, he forced himself to stop thinking about it and focused on the present. His arm throbbed slightly, reminding him that this was, indeed, real. He followed her into the next room.

The torches along the walls burst to life as they entered the hallway, making Ryan jump. Toriel took his hand once more and led him through several rooms and halls that were bare but for walls, though some had small pools of water in the floor off to the side or with paths across them. They walked with purpose, but not too quickly, passing many rooms and paths that were unlit and remained so as they went by. Only where they were going did the torches light and he watched them snuff themselves out once they were a ways behind them. It was also quiet but for the sound of their footsteps and they occasional click of a pebble falling to the ground echoing off the walls.

He saw the opportunity to start getting some answers. “So, are there… more of you down here?”

“Of course.” She said as if it were obvious. “The Underground is filled with monsters. Not many of them come here, however.” The last part was just a whisper.

“And what exactly is ‘The Underground?’”

She turned to give him a questioning look. “You mean you do not know, child?” He shook his head. Toriel seemed as if that fact unsettled her greatly, but she said no more on the subject. Ryan decided to forgo further questions for now.

They continued their journey through rooms large and small until finally the monster stopped in a wide hallway just in front of the first of several spans of flowing water crossed by narrow bridges of stone. The water flowed in from holes low in the wall and left much the same way. “This room has another puzzle that requires the right switches to be pressed to move on.” She turned to tell him. “I would like you to try it on your own, if you are up to it.” She must have mistaken his overall anxiety for worry in response to her request. “Do not worry; it should not be too difficult. I have left hints.” She gave him a reassuring smile.

“I guess I could give it a try.” He told her as he considered the peaceful looking room. Something beneath the water seemed to glow, adding to the light of the torches. He was reminded of the glow that had come from his chest before. He glanced down to see it was still slightly visible beneath his shirt. Just yet another question.

He looked back up at the room. He could not shake the feeling he had seen it somewhere before.

“Good.” Toriel said, breaking him out of his thoughts. “I will wait for you on the far side.” She stepped across the bridge and continued until she was just out of his sight beyond the light of the torches, leaving him to his mysteries.

Ryan started looking around the room for the switches Toriel had mentioned. The first thing he saw, though, was a wooden sign sticking out of the floor. It read,

_You should read signs, they may give helpful tips._

“Can’t argue with that logic.” He said to himself. Behind that sign, he noticed another embedded in the wall. Heading the first signs advice, he walked over to it. It read,

_Stay on the path!_

His eyes went to the ground. He had not noticed it before, but there was a part of the floor that ran through the room that was lighter than the stone around it. It curved back into the doorway they had walked through and disappeared down the now dark passageway. “Oh.” He quickly returned to the first sign.

Unable to find anything he thought could be a switch in that part of the room, he crossed over the first span of water and continued his search. He was now close enough to the other side of the room that he could just make out Toriel standing before a closed door and giving him an encouraging smile. Scanning the walls again, Ryan did not find anything that resembled a switch. However, he did find writing and an arrow scrawled over a spot on the wall in what looked like yellow chalk. In meticulous handwriting, it read,

_Press this switch, please._

_–Toriel._

The arrow pointed to a gap in the stones that looked like what Toriel had used to open the door in the entrance. Ryan looked at the monster with a raised eyebrow. She just continued smiling at him. Jokingly, he pointed at the switch and she responded with a nod. Ryan shrugged and regretted it as pain shot up his arm, but he ignored it and tried to remember not to do it again. He ran his finger down the gap and felt something click. He waited, and almost shrugged again when nothing happened but was able to stop himself.

Ryan gave the monster a confused look. She simply gestured for him to keep looking, so he crossed over the next span of water.

He found, along the same wall, two more messages with arrows pointing to two more gaps in the wall, side by side. The writing on the left read,

_Press this switch too, please._

_– Toriel._

And the right read,

_This is a bad switch. Do not press it._

_– Toriel._

With a sigh, Ryan hit the switch on the left. This time, after the click, he felt a rumble through the ground. He joined Toriel on the other side of the room. The door behind her was open. “Very good!” She told him. Let us continue.”

“You go on ahead.” He told her. “I’m gonna grab a drink really quick.” He pointed at the water behind him.

She gave him a concerned look. “Oh, I do not know if that water is safe to drink…”

“Okay, I lied, I actually need to go to the bathroom.”

“Oh,” She said again, going slightly red this time. “I will give you a moment, then.”

When she was out of sight, Ryan went back to wall and pressed the other switch. Nothing happened. “Figures.” He said to himself and went to join Toriel.

Once he caught up, he found Toriel rummaging through a pile of rubble in the corner of the next room. A section of the wall had collapsed, having been weaker than the rest for some unknown reason. He watched rocks and shards of wood get thrown aside by the monster as she mumbled to herself. A tap on the shoulder to get her attention made her jump. The look on her face said she was expecting someone other than him. He could not have guessed who. “You are done, child?” She asked him

Instead of answering her, he asked in turn, “What are you doing?” He hopped he did not sound accusatory. It was proving difficult for him to be trusting while walking through a maze full of traps. But in response, she smiled and turned to show him what she had found in the corner. Dug up from the pile was a training dummy. It looked like a cross between a sock puppet and a store mannequin. Ryan found himself having flashbacks to his MMO days. “What’s that for?” He asked as she picked it up and moved it to a different, cleaner corner of the room.

When she set it back down, she turned to him. “In the Underground, some monsters may approach you.” She explained.

“Okay?” He walked over to join her by the dummy once more.

“When that happens, they may seem like they are attacking you.”

“Seem like?” But she went on as if he had not spoken.

“If this happens, you should try striking up a friendly conversation, stall for time. I will be there soon to resolve the conflict.”

Ryan opened his mouth to question further, but before he could manage a word Toriel was pushing him toward the dummy. “I’ve set this up for you to practice. Try talking to it.”

He stared at the dummy in confusion. It was half old rucksack half old sock with black button eyes sewn on it. It may have been white at one point but dirt had stained it to a dark brown. Age showed on it heavily, patches of it were simply rotten away and the rest looked ready to follow. He turned to Toriel who now stood patiently in another corner. “Am I really doing this?” He shouted. Toriel only gave him another encouraging smile. He turned back to the dummy and said to himself, “Well this is going in the book of ‘weird things I’ve done this year.’” The dummy decided at that moment it had enough with life. Its threadbare body could no longer keep itself on its support pole and in slumped to the ground. Ryan blinked away the dust.

“Did I win?” He asked as Toriel walked back over to him.

“Yes… Umm… Let’s continue, shall we?” She walked away shaking her head. Ryan was about to shrug again but caught himself and instead grabbed his right shoulder as if to tell it to stay down. He then followed after her once more.

They passed through several more rooms where nothing interesting happened. Ryan noticed a few instances of parts of the floor being covered by stone, rope tied around levers to keep them in a certain position and sections of wall covered by boards of wood. He guessed that those must have been some of the “dangers” Toriel had dealt with already. He was thankful, to be certain.

It did not take long for the silence to grate on his nerves. Toriel did not seem to be one for idle conversation. Neither was he, in all honesty. But with all of the questions he still had, any sort of chit chat would have helped keep his mind off of things. As it was, one thought kept creeping up on him. “So, you mentioned monster attacks?”

“I only said it may _seem_ like they are attacking you.” She told him without turning around. “Some monster’s behaviors are… strange. I simply wanted to make sure did not do anything rash.”

“I thought you said not many monsters came here, though?”

She slowed for a moment. “That is true, but there are a few types of monsters that make the ruins their home… Careful.”

They came to a part of a hallway where the floor had completely given way. The hole coved a good number of paces; far too large to jump over. Peering over the edge, the torches did not give off enough light to see the bottom. Two boards of wood made a narrow bridge over the gap. They crossed it one at a time and when they were across, Toriel apologized. “I’m afraid these halls are not in the condition they used to be.” She told him.

“How old is this place?” He asked her.

This time, the question did make her stop. “Do you truly not know, my child?”

Ryan raised his good arm in a mock shrug. “Not really. Am I missing something?”

It was a moment before she answered him. She started walking again and she did not look at him. “Long ago,” She started, “Humans and monsters lived on the surface together. No one knew where either came from; the earliest of records only tell of our first meetings.” She paused. “One day the humans attacked us, and we fled here where we were trapped forever.” She stopped again and finally looked at him. “Have you really heard none of this before?”

“Not even in myth and legend. How long ago was that?”

“It was a thousand years ago.”

Ryan chuckled. “No, there’s no way. There would have been some mention of that somewhere and this is the first I’m learning of it.” Toriel looked defeated. He figured he should shut up. “I’m sorry, Toriel, I wish there was something I could do…”

“There is nothing anyone can do.” She said almost too quickly. “What’s done is done. And it is no fault of yours.” She held out her hand again and her voice softened. “There will be time enough later for a better explanation. There is still a ways to go.”

They kept walking until Toriel stopped at a seemingly empty room. “There is another puzzle ahead.” She told him. “Would you like to try it?”

He gave the room a quick scan; he would have put money on the fact that it was empty. Also, if they both wanted to get out of here so badly, why was she making them waste time on something she knew the answer to already? Then he remembered the last puzzle she had him do. “Sure, why not?” He told her.

“There are no hints this time.” She clarified.

“I think I’ll manage.”

She smiled and turned to let him pass. “Then I will wait here. Come to me when you think you have solved it.”

Ryan took a closer look around the room. It was not that large; he could cover the width in just four strides. There was a path to another room by one corner. He checked for cracks in the walls that may hold some form of secret switch. He made sure there was nothing on the ceiling. The floor was level, so there were no pressure plates.

There _was_ something off about the floor, however, that he did not realize at first. The lighter colored stone that marked the path up to this point was unnecessarily weaving back and forth across the floor. He made note of it and decided to check the adjoining room.

A short passage connected the room he was just in with one that looked flooded. A pool of water covered most of the floor and shooting out of the water were long metal spikes, almost as tall as he was. He swallowed and then a sound from behind him made him jump.

“Ribbit.” Ryan spun around faster than the thought possible, but there was nothing there. “Ribbit.” It came again, below him. He looked down. It was a frog. No, not a frog. It was about two feet high, coming up to his knee; its skin was smooth and glossy like that of a normal frog’s and it was very pale, almost white, with spots on its chest. Its eyes had a glazed over look to it, seeming to stare at nothing. Somehow, Ryan could tell that this frog did not have an easy life.

“Umm, hey, little guy.” He tried, hoping he said it loud enough for Toriel to hear. The monster did not look dangerous, but he was not about to take the chance. The frog just gave another croak in response. The only other thing it did was blink on occasion. “Do you need something?” He tried again. The frog’s eyes lifted to him for a moment before it was back in its own world again.

A shadow crept up from behind it. They both looked up. It was Toriel, as he had hoped; she was giving the small monster a death stare Ryan did not think the gentle monster capable of before that moment. The other monster, shaking in fright, hopped off towards the water and disappeared beneath its surface. When it was gone, Ryan asked Toriel, “What was that?”

Not looking at him, she walked past into the next room. “Pay it no mind, my child.” Was all she said.

Ryan stared after her for a moment then shook his head. “Water off my back,” he said to himself “Like water off my back. Wish I had an umbrella.” He was about to follow after her when his eye caught a sign on the wall. It read,

_The west room is the path of the east room._

Looked like someone was nice enough to leave him a hint. He went back to the previous room, memorized the path and went back to Toriel who was staring at the spike filled pool. “I don’t think that frog thing is coming back anytime soon.” He told her. “You seemed to have scared it away quite nicely.”

“It is not that.” She said simply.

“Okay, well, I think I have the answer.” He took a step closer to the water and a section of the spikes retreated into the ground. A step to the left made the spikes shoot back up while the ones he was now in front of stayed put. “The path through was in the other room. Easy. Let’s go.” But she held him back by grabbing his arm. She did not look happy at his solution. If anything she looked even more worried than a moment ago. “Did I get it wrong?” He asked her.

“No… It’s just…” She let go of his arm and stepped in front of him. “I have decided this puzzle is too dangerous. Here, I will guide you through it.” She held out her hand for him to take this time.

“No, no, I’m pretty sure I got it. There was a sign and everything. It actually wasn’t that hard.”

“Nonsense.” She told him, fiercely. “This is too dangerous for someone not used to the underground and you are already hurt. I will not allow you to be injured further.” She took his hand in hers and pulled him towards the part of the spikes he had made retract before. It did the same for her and the two of them stepped onto the platform. The water only barely covered the contraption. Ryan questioned briefly how the thing was not rusted away after a millennium, but mostly he felt silly. _I’m too old to be led around like a little kid_ he thought to himself. But he understood her worry and kept his thoughts to himself. They took the exact path he had expected to. He was tempted to say what turns they would make before they made them, but he kept that to himself as well.

Once they were across, Toriel let go of his hand. “There.” She sighed. “Are you hurt?”

He gave her a look that he hoped told her she was worrying too much. The spikes that had retracted to make the path had not even come back up yet. He would have had to try very hard to have been hurt. “I could have done that myself.” He told her not because he felt emasculated by the fact that he had just been pulled through something he felt was simple like an invalid, but to try to alleviate some of that overbearing worry.

“Even if you think that, if you had taken just one misstep… I could not allow that.” She countered, turning away from him.

“It really wasn’t that hard to figure out, and the spikes retracted long before you got near them, so I don’t think-”

“Fine,” Toriel interrupted, “if you truly feel you are capable on your own, and that you do not need me,”

“I wasn’t trying to imply that.” Ryan tried to assure her.

“Then we will use this next room as a test.” She continued as if he had not said anything and then started off again without waiting to see if he followed. They turned a corner and the torches lit to reveal a rather long corridor. She turned to face him. “You shall walk to the end of this hallway on your own.”

Ryan looked around her. The hallway was long but seemed to be empty. Marble columns lined the walls but did little to hide any potential dangers. “You sure?” He asked jokingly. But, Toriel took it the wrong way.

“Do not try to back out of this now. You asked for it. If you make it to the other side without me, then I suppose I will have to trust you on your own a bit more. But we shall see!” She turned and quickly walked away from him, soon disappearing beyond the light of the torches.

Ryan stood where he was for a moment after she was out of sight. Questions were once again bubbling up to the front of his mind. With a deep breath, he pushed them aside once more and began his way down the hall.

At first, he scanned every inch of the walls, floor, and ceiling for anything that could lead to his death. Then, he remembered two things: he had just watched Toriel walk through without stopping for anything, and, based off what she had tried to “challenge” him with thus far, there was likely not anything too complicated in this room. Actually, there was very likely nothing at all.

He walked the rest of hallway’s length sure that that was the case. He had almost made it to the end and not a single spike pit, blade, or giant boulder had been triggered. An hour ago, he was worried that this monster might be trying to trick him in some way. Now he was certain she could not hurt him even if she wanted to.

But Toriel was nowhere to be found, he realized. At the far end, the hallway ended with a normal sized doorway, and the monster was not there as she said she would be. He poked his head through the doorway, but he could not see anything. The torches in that room did not light up in response to his presence. _Where did she go?_ He wondered. Had he been wrong? Did she actually leave him trapped here? A noise came from behind him and he froze. He spun around only to find the hallway still empty. “My imagination must be getting the best of me.” He said to himself. Then the noise came again. He turned towards the column lined wall. He was sure it had come from there. The noise came a third time; it sounded to Ryan like a sneeze and it was definitely coming from behind one of the pillars. He realized what was happening immediately. “Toriel.” He said agitatedly, “Have you been behind there the whole time?”

Toriel hesitantly walked out from behind the column looking slightly ashamed, but the look was gone the moment Ryan registered it and was replaced by the same ‘I’m right because I’m your mother’ look she had before. “Well, it seems you can manage _somewhat_ on your own.” She said, purposefully dodging his question. He opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off. “And since you’ve proven you can handle some independence, I would like to ask you to wait here for a moment. I have remembered something ahead that I must take care of.”

“What is it?” He asked, his other thoughts forgotten.

“Nothing you need concern yourself with. I will be back before you know it.”

Ryan suddenly became very aware of the small gap there was between him and total silent isolation down here. He thought he could feel sweat run down his back. “Are you sure I can’t just come with you?”

“Certainly not!” She shouted, but she seemed to want to take it back immediately. She cleared her throat before going on. “You were far too reckless in the way you handled that hallway. There could have been countless puzzles and traps and you just waltzed through it with abandon. I want you to stay here while I’m gone, my child. There are still dangers ahead that I have not fully explained.”

“I’m sure I’d be fine finding the way myself.” He insisted. “Nothing’s really been that bad so far.”

“This place is very big, and the path is not always straight forward. I will admit, you are a very capable young man, but please stay put for now. If only for my peace of mind.”

Ryan decided it was no you use and gave in. “Alright, I’ll stay put.” He told her.

She turned to go, but stopped. “Are you sure you’ll be alright?”

Ryan looked down at his arm in the makeshift sling. “I should be fine for a bit.”

Toriel nodded and then seemed to remember something. She reached into the folds of her robe and pulled out a small object that she held out to him. “If you need anything while I am gone, you can talk to me with this.”

Ryan looked at what she held. It was an old flip phone. A strange thing for her to have, if this place truly had been cut off from the rest of the world for the last thousand years. He did not take it and instead reached into his own pocket. “Actually, I already have one of those.” He held out his phone for her to see. It was much newer than the one she meant for him. He turned on the screen to make sure it still worked and was only half surprised to see that it did after his fall. He had always had good luck with phones.

She took the phone from him and squinted at it. “There are no buttons.” She said dubiously. “How does it work?”

Having been down this road before, he opted not to give her a detailed answer. “Magic?” He said instead. It seemed to satisfy the monster. She handed the phone back to him and put the other back into her robes. She then pulled out another one that could have been its twin.

The two exchanged numbers, but, as Ryan saw that he had no signal, he doubted it would actually work. “Well, there is one way to make sure, isn’t there?” She said and dialed his number. His phone rang, despite the lack of signal, and when he answered he could hear her just fine. They tried it the other way and it worked just as well.

“Weird.” Ryan said more to himself.

“I will try to be as fast as I can.” She told him one final time. “Remember, you can call be about anything.” And then Toriel left, leaving Ryan to his jumbled thoughts.

The silence crept up on him quickly. He put on some music with his phone to push it away and sat down against the wall facing the direction he had come. For a long time, he stared at nothing and just let his mind drift. “How did I get here?” He said to himself as he looked around the room. The reality of his situation was catching up to him again. “I’m in some underground castle, supposedly built before the crusades, being led around by a literal monster.” He laughed to himself, looking down at his broken arm. “When I had wished for some excuse not to go home this morning, this wasn’t really what I had in mind.”

He looked up from his lap. The far end of the hallway looked darker than he remembered it being a few moments ago. He guessed that perhaps some of the torches had gone out since he was no longer over there. Still, it unsettled him. His mind was already starting to see shapes in the shadows that weren’t there.

Remembering Toriel said to call her about anything, he dialed her number. “Hello, this is Toriel. Is something wrong?” She answered after only a couple rings.

“Not really…” He said honestly. “I guess I just called to say hi.”

There was a pause. “Oh, in that case, salutations. Will that suffice?”

“Yeah, I know you’re busy. Sorry I bothered you.”

“It is no problem, my child. I should only be a minute longer.” She hung up.

Ryan let out a breath. “Well that was dumb…” He tried to keep his eyes off of the darkness in front of him. He turned to lay down facing the wall, but it did not help. It felt like eyes were on his back. It made his skin crawl. He peaked over his shoulder, certain he’d find nothing. He meant it to be a quick glance to confirm his paranoia was just that. But as he stared, he thought he could make out something in the shadows by one of the pillars. He tried to blink it away, but it persisted. He could only just make out the shape of it. It almost looked like a flower.

“Nope.” He said as he stood up and left the room.


	3. Ruins

He had barely made it two steps into the next room before his phone started to ring. It could not have been anyone except for Toriel, yet her name at the top of the screen still surprised him. What could it be? Could she be done already? Does she know he left somehow? Certainly that was impossible. Still, his nervousness did not settle. As casually as he could, he answered the call. “Hello?”

“Toriel here.” The voice on the other end said as clear as if the monster were standing next to him. “It seems my errands will take a little longer than I thought. There was this dog and it got my phone and there was flour everywhere and…” as she spoke, hysteria built up in her tone. “… Never mind. Will you be all right if I take a little longer? You are staying put, right?”

“I’ll be fine.” He said simply in order to avoid his voice shaking.

“All right, I will be back soon, my child.” The call clicked off.

Letting go of a held breath, he put his phone back in his pocket and looked around at the room he found himself in now.

The torches along the walls were lit. That was one worry off is mind, though he wondered how long they would stay that way for him and if he would suddenly find himself in darkness with only his phone for light. The thought did not make going forward appealing, but neither was the idea of staying and waiting with his mind playing tricks on him as it had. After a step, the room took a turn to the right. The length of the floor was topped by small piles of the same red and brown leaves he had seen a few times before. Further down, the room continued on to the left, but there was also another doorway behind him. Neither had any indication if it were the right way. “So much for the hope that this would be straight forward.” He said to himself. He had had a slim hope of finding a few more chalked messages, but he supposed that was a bit too much to ask for.

“Ribbit, ribbit. Excuse me, human.” Ryan turned and saw another one of those frog monsters had appeared behind him, or perhaps it was the same one from before, he could not tell. However, this one was talking to him. “I have some advice for you about battling monsters.” It told him.

The monster’s voice was barely above a whisper, but in the silence of the catacombs, it mattered little. It also spoke slowly, deliberately, as if it did not fully understand what it was saying but was reciting it anyway. “Um, okay?” was his response. He had already met a talking goat today. Why not a talking frog?

The frog monster took a moment to blink before it continued. “If you act a certain way, or fight until you almost defeat them, they might not want to battle you anymore.” Another pause. “If a monster does not want to fight you, please, show some mercy, human. Ribbit.”

He did not really understand what the frog was trying to tell him. Toriel had said something about fighting monsters as well, or at least she had told him not to. Some of what this monster was saying went along with that, but the rest did not piece together. Though, instead of asking what it meant, he told the monster, “I don’t really plan on fighting anything, so I wouldn’t worry.” The monster did not seem to hear him. It just stared at him blankly before hopping over to the corner by the doorway he came in where it continued to stare into space. “Alright then.” He decided to let the frog be and went back to his own dilemma.

Still seeing forward as the only option, he went through the doorway on the left if merely because it was closer. Looking back once to see if the strange frog was following him, – it had not moved at all – he found himself in a small room unlit by any torches. Instead, the light came from small pools of water along the side walls. The soft, blue glow illuminated a jungle of vines that covered almost every surface and grew up a marble stand, as high as his waist, which stood in the room’s center. Atop the stand was a glass bowl that, upon closer inspection, seemed to be full of candy. The small orbs were wrapped in colored paper of a dozen bright hues. Carved into the rock of the stand was the message,

_Take one._

He did, though hesitantly. There was no telling what sort of traps something like this may hide. It could be precisely weighted so that if he took a piece a door may close, or the candy may even be poisoned. It was a risk he was willing to take, in this case. The last time he had eaten was that morning and his stomach growled at the thought of anything, even candy. He unwrapped it from its paper and popped it into his mouth. It was good, whatever it was. He could not really tell what flavor it was, but at least it was not liquorish.

Satisfied by the treat, he scanned around the room. He searched all of the walls carefully for any hidden passages or switches. When he was sure the room did not hold anything more than what could be plainly seen, he went back to the other room. The frog monster still had not moved an inch.

The room did have new occupants, though. Zipping through the air and throwing piles of leaves at each other were what looked like giant insects. There were three of them, ladybug red and about the size of his hand, giggling as they played. They would dive down, scoop up a handful of leaves and chase after each other until they were close enough to dump them on their friend’s head, and then the process would repeat. All of that ceased the moment Ryan reentered the room. The monsters froze where they were; fear plain on their less-than-insect faces. Two of them flew off with a high pitched shriek almost immediately; the third just hovered there, staring at him wide eyed.

Ryan took a step towards it and it dropped a few inches as if it had forgotten how to fly for a moment. It was trembling, arms folded in front of it and antenna drooped below its face. “It’s okay.” He tried. “I’m not gonna hurt you.” But his words seemed to break the monster out of its trance and it flew off after its brethren. He chased after it, but as he turned the corner, in was nowhere to be seen.

There was plenty of ways it could have gone, too. The corridor held several doorways that, in turn, held only darkness, and with that sight all thoughts of trying to follow after the monster were forgotten. At least half a dozen paths were before him and there was no indication of which would bring him the same way Toriel had gone. More and more, his decision to follow after her was turning into a bad idea. Still, the thought of what might lay in wait for him if he waited kept his feet moving forward.

He walked into the middle of the room to try to get a better look down as many of the passageways as he could. “Maybe I should just wait.” He said right before the floor gave out underneath him. A shout escaped his lips as he watched a leaf covered ground rapidly get closer. But just before he was sure he would have hit, he felt himself slow and he landed on his feet with no less impact than if he had taken a step down stairs. He laughed away his shock as he patted himself to make sure he was not imagining it. But his good humor was quickly washed away as the reality of his new situation sank in.

Where he found himself now was only slightly better than the room above. Light came in from the hole he fell through to reveal two doorways, one to either side of him, both unlit. Not much of a gambling man, he took the path to his left with the hope it would somehow lead him back to the room above. But that was not the case. The way turned into a spiral staircase that led him to a dark room that did not look familiar. Not good.

He went back down to check the other path. It too was a staircase, and it also did not lead him back to the room he had fallen from. This new room, however, was lit. He was in no condition to try climbing back up to where he had been, so it looked to be the best option. Hopefully it would turn out to be the right way and he was not already completely lost.

The light revealed a room split in half by a black iron gate and continued to show through another doorway on the far side. There was nothing on his half that gave him any indication as to how to open the gate, though, and a quick attempt to pull it up by hand showed him he would need much more than that. Perhaps his chances would be better a different way after all.

His phone rang before he could start to head back. He froze. If Toriel was already on her way back, he had no way to cover it up now. It would be better to just admit it before matters got worse. If that was the reason she called. He decided to cross that bridge after she led him to it. “Hello?” He answered.

“Hello. This is Toriel. For no reason in particular, which do you prefer? Cinnamon or butterscotch?”

His nervousness was forgotten and replaced with confusion. He did not really understand why she needed to know that right at this moment, and it certainly had not been what he expected her to ask, but he _did_ call her just to say hi, so he elected not to question it. “Uh, butterscotch, I guess.”

“Oh, I see. Thank you very much.” Then she hung up without another word.

After a moment of stunned silence, he started back towards the stairs. A grunt off to his side stopped him before he had taken more than a step. He turned to see something crawling out of a crack in the wall behind him. It was as round as a ball with tiny horns on top of it and, as it stood up from hands and knees, he saw that most of its body was just a giant eye. A wide mouth filled with sharp teeth sat below the eye-body just before its short legs. It was a little unsettling, and he very nearly jumped back.

The monster was not as composed. It screeched at it saw him and darted for the hole in the wall. “Wait!” Ryan shouted after it, but it was already out of sight.

He went up to the hole to see if he might be able to follow after it, only to hear something whispering. “You didn’t tell me there was someone else here!” It was saying in a raspy voice.

“How was I supposed to know?” Came another voice that had a buzzing sound to it.

Ryan decided to try something. “Um, excuse me?” He said into the hole. The whispers went silent. “I… I’m kinda lost and was wondering if maybe you saw a goat monster come this way?” He was not entirely sure he should be relying on the directions of random monsters, but forward or back, he could search the rest of the night and still be lost. This was his best option by far. If only best option did not mean _slightly less chance of being killed,_ he might have felt better.

There was no immediate response. He was about to give up hope and deal with trying to find his own way when the buzzy voice said, “No one’s here.”

“Okay, you just spoke to me…” Ryan told it. He was not really in the mood for games at the moment.

“No I didn’t!” The voice insisted. “I am a… uh… a talking wall!”

He rolled his eyes. “No you’re not.”

“Darn, that usually works…” He heard the other voice say. Then he saw something start to move inside the hole and backed away. The same round monster from before crawled back out again and looked up at him with its singular eye. It appeared to be judging him; scanning him up and down as if it could sense mal intent. “We’ll help you out.” It said to him finally. “But first you got to answer some of our questions.” He wondered who the ‘we’ was, and then saw that one of those insect monsters was just barely poking its head out from the hole. It looked no less scared than the other three he had seen before, even with a much bigger friend to back it up. Then again, he _was_ more than twice the height of the larger monster. Maybe it had a good reason to be scared. “First off, who are you?” The monster continued. “I’ve certainly never seen you here before.”

“Ryan.” He told it simply, he was not sure what kind of answer the monster was looking for.

It looked him up and down again. “Really? I’ve never met a Ryan before. Did your kind just move into the ruins? Do you know any Loox? That’s what I am, by the way. Do you have any cousins I might know?” The monster circled him once as it spoke, investigating him further. Before he could answer any of its questions, the monster turned to its companion in the hole. “Whimsun, you heard of a Ryan before?” The other monster meekly shook its head. Turning its attention back to Ryan, the Loox went on, “More importantly, though, what business do you have with the queen?”

“Queen?” Toriel? He supposed she did have the mannerisms: head always up, articulate, walking without the slightest bounce, natural leader; but still, queen?

Ryan thought he could tell for the first time what expression the monster held, and it was definitely shock. “What kind of monster are you that you don’t know your own queen? Especially if you’re supposed to be looking for her.” The monster gestured for him to lean in and he did. “Listen, kid, let’s say I did believe you for a second, whatever you think she may be able to help you with, I’d let it go. All the rest of us monsters usually leave her alone and for a good reason.”

“Well, I’m supposed to be waiting somewhere for her, but… something happened and I need to either find my way back or find her.”

“And exactly what business could _she_ have with _you_?”

He told them about how he had come to find himself there, from waking up in the dark to falling through the floor a moment ago; he only left out the part about the flower, seeing no reason anyone needed to know about that but him. By the time he was done, the monster looked like it was ready to run back into the hole again. “You… You’re a human.” It stammered. He nodded, not really seeing what the big deal was, and then he remembered Toriel saying something about humans trapping them down here and wished he had not. “What business does a _human_ have with the queen?” The Loox asked again.

“I don’t know. She said she was bringing me somewhere safe.”

The monster shook its head. “I don’t believe it.” It most definitely looked angry now. “Give me one good reason why I should not end you here and now.”

Before he could say anything, his phone rang again. “Hello, this is Toriel. You do not dislike cinnamon, do you? I know what your preference is, but would you turn up your nose if you found it on your plate?”

“No, I’m fine with cinnamon, Toriel.” He made sure to say loud enough for the other monsters to hear. “Don’t worry.”

“Right, right. I understand. Thank you for being patient, by the way.” And the line went dead.

The monster blinked, its anger gone. “Was that proof enough?” Ryan asked.

The Loox looked like it was about to say something, but the other monster, Whimsun, flew out of the hole and whispered something by its companion’s horn. “I guess you have a point.” The Loox told the other monster before turning his attention back to Ryan. “Alright, human. We’ll help you out.” Its eye went to his broken arm. “You don’t seem all that dangerous anyway.” It pointed to the other side of the metal gate blocking the room. “We saw her go that way a little while ago. Most likely towards Home. It was lucky we heard her coming and were able to hide or else we would’ve gotten another lecture about coming up here. Anyway, heading that way would be a lot shorter than trying to make it back to where you were at this point. The path there is pretty straight forward. Follow the leaves, follow the line and follow the light and you should get there no problem.”

Ryan studied the gate. There was no way he would be able to lift that open. He told the monster as much. “No worry. Give me a hand here.” The monster started walking over to the other corner. In it, there was a rather large rock, almost up to his knee and just as wide around. It had been carved into almost a perfect sphere. The Loox began to push it and he followed its lead, careful not to hurt himself any more than he already was. They pushed it until it was almost to the gate, where it suddenly refused to go further and then sunk into the floor. The gate slowly began to rise into the ceiling in response. “I swear this place is almost built like a video game.” Ryan said, mostly to himself.

“Before you go, human.” The Loox was telling him once the noise of the gate ceased. “Please keep the fact that she’s the queen to yourself. It’d only bring up bad memories.”

He nodded. He wanted to ask more questions about that and other things, but he did not want to seem ungrateful by interrogating it. “Thank you.” He told the monster.

“Don’t mention it. Seriously, don’t.” The Loox mumbled something further to itself about ‘helping a human’ as it walked back to the hole. “Come on, Whimsun.”

The tiny monster waved to him, but as he waved back it just yelped and flew into the hole after its friend. He turned to the path ahead. “Just more questions.” He said to himself.

He walked into the next room. The light of the torches revealed several more paths branching off of that one. He searched around the room’s several doorways until he thought he saw more light up ahead. “Follow the leaves, follow the line, follow the light.” He repeated to himself. The next few rooms were much the same, he searched, careful not to set anything hidden off, until he found a path that looked to have more light coming from it than one of those pools of water could produce, and moved on. All the while repeating, “Follow the leaves, follow the line, follow the light.”

If he had to guess as to why there was any sort of guide through this place at all, he would say it was probably for the monsters themselves. He remembered reading somewhere that maze makers would leave clues for themselves and their comrades to get through if they were large enough to get lost in even if you helped build it. And this place certainly was big. He passed through a couple rooms that, thankfully, did not have any branching paths. What the Loox told him must have been that clue. “Follow the leaves. Follow the line. Follow the light.” He kept his feet firmly planted on the lighter stone path that had reappeared sa few rooms ago. But then, he thought, “What leaves?” just as the floor gave way beneath him.

He let out a yell as he watched the hole above him rise away. Like the other time, as he was sure he would hit the ground, he could feel his fall slow after a few seconds. However, this time he did not land on his feet. His failing had rolled him backwards and he landed on his back with a thud. Leaves drifted up into the air around him.

For a moment, he just lay there in disbelief before he punched the ground with his good arm, scattering even more leaves. “I can’t believe I did that _twice_!” He shouted. A bit of floor fell from above and struck him in the forehead as if to tell him the universe did not care. Rubbing where it hit, he stood up and tried to get his bearings. The room was the same shape as the one above, curving into a ninety degree zigzag, only there was just one door and it was back in the direction he had come. Brown and red leaves were all along the floor, pushed into piles so that a pathway of bare ground serpentined all the way to the far wall, broken only where the leaves he had kicked up had settled. He walked over to the wall where the clear path ceased and pushed against it to see if it would open, but it did not.

To his left, he noticed another sign. It read,

_Don’t step on the leaves!_

He did not really understand, but if this place was to be believed, that message was important somehow. Seeing no other option, he took the stairway out of the room and found himself, thankfully, in the room above once again. The floor around where he had fallen was now covered in cracks and looked ready to give at any moment. It really was the same shape as the room below, he realized. Then, his mind made the connection, the path in the leaves, the sign. “Follow the leaves.” He said to himself.

The hole where he fell was just to the right of the clear path, he saw as he looked down. He stepped over to where he thought it would be and lightly walked onto the cracked stone. It held. He recalled the path in his mind and walked straight to the back wall before turning to the left and then turning to walk back to the top wall and then towards the exit. He was tempted to see if he could make the jump to the door, it was only about half a dozen feet away now, but was adamantly set on keeping his tally of broken bones at one. So he turned to the right once more and walked again to the back wall before heading to the doorway.

As he made it, he heard a loud crunch. The floor behind him, all but the path he had just walked on, fell away into the room below leaving where he had just walked suspended in air. Staring for a moment at the piles of stone and dust where only a few leaves poked out now, he shook his head. “Of course.” He left the room before his irrational anger could take hold.

The next room was another that was blocked by another crossbar gate. And, sure enough, there were three rocks in the corner and three round tiles in the floor that he assumed were more buttons. “Weird video game puzzles, I swear.” He whispered to himself as he pushed the first two rocks onto the buttons. The third rock however met him with some unexpected resistance.

“Whoa there, partner!” It said as he laid a hand on it. Ryan jumped back and looked around for where the voice had come from. “Down here, buddy.” The rock spoke again.

“A talking rock?” Ryan said mostly to himself. He was almost certain he was hallucinating this time.

“Yes I’m a talking rock. Haven’t you ever seen a rock talk before?” Ryan shook his head. He had never known rocks to talk, especially not with a Brooklyn accent. “Wait, really? Where do you live under a… forget it. More importantly, who said you could push me around?”

The rock’s tone made him forget his questions such as, how could a rock be talking? Or, have you seen my sanity? Instead, he stammered. “I’m sorry; I wouldn’t have if I had known. I just wasn’t expecting you to be…”

“What? Sleeping?”

“Alive…?”

“Well, now we remember what happens when we assume, don’t we?” The rock did not move as it spoke and it had no discernable face he could find.

Ryan just closed his eyes and pressed his fingers to his temples. He did not have time for this, Toriel could be on her way back any moment and he was already frustrated from the constant falling down and breaking everything. “Listen, I really need to get to the other side of that gate, so if you could please-”

“Oh, so now you’re _asking_ me to move?” the rock’s attitude was making Ryan grind his teeth. “Okay, I’ll move, just for you, pumpkin.” The rock moved slightly toward the button and stopped. Ryan waited for it to move again but it did not. “What? You want me to move some more? Alrighty how’s this?” The rock moved again, though this time not toward the button. Ryan looked at the rock incredulously. “I’m sorry, was that the wrong direction?” it asked, attitude still heavy in its tone. “Okay, I think I got this.” The rock finally moved onto the button. “Was that helpful?”

“Yes, thank you.” Ryan said, barely managing to keep the anger out of his voice, and he started walking toward the end of the room. Just before he reached the gate, though, it started to lower again. Ryan turned back to the rock that, somewhat unsurprisingly, was no longer on the button.

“What? You want me to stay there?”

“Kind of.” Ryan was starting to get very angry now.

“Hey, don’t blame me because you’re bad at directions.” The rock moved back onto the button and this time Ryan was able to cross.

Normally he would have let that whole situation go, but on top of everything else that had happened so far he could not help himself from turning back just before reaching the next room and saying, “You know, you’re a bit of a jerk.”

“Oh really?” The rock responded sardonically. “Why don’t you come back over on this side of the gate and say that?”

Ryan just shook his head and left; a mocking “Oh yeah, you’re a real tough guy,” following him into the next room.

For once, the hallway was free of puzzles as far as he could see, the only thing he passed was an old wooden table with what looked like a piece of cheese on it. As he wondered why that was, he heard a squeak and saw that there was a small mouse hole in one of the walls. Deciding he had some karma to make up for the last room, he tried to take a bit of the cheese to give to the mouse, but it was stuck to the table. He couldn’t break a piece off either; it was hard as a rock. There was some irony to be found there, he was sure.

Defeated by the dairy product, he knelt in front of the mouse hole. “Sorry, I tried.” He told it. “If I find some other cheese, I’ll be sure to bring you it.” He promised.

He straightened and continued down the path to the next room. If he had any luck at all, he would at least be close to the end of this maze. His hunger and exhaustion was beginning to catch up to him. Whatever Toriel had done to give him his surge of energy seemed meant to be only a temporary solution. His aches and pains from the fall came back and compounded on top of his fatigue of walking all this way. Toriel’s voice echoed through his head, _I will be back soon._ It gave him some hope.

He came to a crossroad. Before he even began his investigation as to which way to take, a leaf blew in from his left on an unfelt breeze. “Follow the leaves.” He said to himself again as he entered the room. His eye was drawn to its center. The walls narrowed after a few feet in front of him to be just wide enough for him to walk through without having to turn to the side. Lying on the floor in that space, on top of a pile of leaves, was a translucent shape that, to Ryan, just looked like a white blob with eyes.

Whatever it was, it was alive. It was also very obviously pretending to be asleep, it had been silent when he had come in, but now the shape was sighing out the letter ‘z’ every so often.

As he was deciding what to do about the situation, a leaf floated into the room to land on the pile with its brethren, passing right through the monster as if it were a ghost. Perhaps it was a ghost. Could ghosts be alive? Ryan guessed that he could simply walk through the ghost himself and move on, but he did not want to be rude. “Um… excuse me?” He tried. The ghost ignored him, continuing its very poor fake snoring. “Hey!” He tried more forcefully.

The ghost groaned and floated up from the ground. It seemed to take Ryan in, but he honestly could not tell. It’s eyes were large disks that did not seem to move. It reminded him of an owl, yet the ghost’s round eyes somehow managed to look tired instead of alert. “Oh, a human…” It said apathetically. A mouth appeared below its eyes when it spoke, but it did not move. As if it could not be bothered. “I guess this means we have to fight… right?”

“It doesn’t have to.” Ryan told it. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to try fighting a ghost. “I just need to get through is all.”

“No… It’s okay… I understand how this works… Let’s see… Attacks… Umm…” The ghost managed to look lost with its expressionless face, turning side to side as it tried to ponder out something to attack him with. He would not say the ghost seemed reluctant, just that it would rather be sleeping. “Hmm… This should work…” After a moment, it turned back to Ryan and suddenly looked like it was crying, but instead of falling to the ground, the tears flew towards him. However, they were moving very slowly and were easy to dodge. Easy enough, in fact, that Ryan felt awkward in the silence that was quickly forming between them. He did not really want to fight. He knew with almost certainty that any attempt to retaliate on his part against the ghost would be futile, nor did he think it would be smart to just try to go around it. He decided to follow the advice Toriel gave him.

“So, uh, why are we doing this?” He asked the ghost as he casually stepped aside from another ‘attack.’

“Well… it’s what all monsters are taught to do: if you see a human… you fight them… capture them… and bring them to the king…” The ghost said without stopping its tears. The king? He tucked that one away for later. “And I just want to get back to sleeping…”

Ryan nodded in agreement. “I get how you feel.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. Having to be dragged into everyone else’s problems when you just want to do what you want sucks. So, I guess sorry for dragging you into mine… Say, what’s your name?”

“Nabstablook.” The ghost told him. That was the kind of name you did not forget.

“I’m Ryan.” He told Nabstablook still having to step out of the way of a few tears. “So what brings you here? Just sleeping?”

“Pretty much. I usually come to the ruins because there’s no one here.”

“Well I didn’t mean to interrupt you. I just got kinda lost. I’m looking for the… goat monster.” He almost said queen.

The ghost’s attacks stopped. “Oh… her… She was through this way a little while ago… She stepped on my face… It wasn’t her fault, though… I was invisible… But not you… You were nice enough to ask if you could get by. Most monsters don’t think much about ghosts.

Ryan half shrugged. “It just didn’t seem right.”

“It’s no problem. You really are nice. Huh, who would have thought I’d meet a nice human today?” He started to drift away to the far end of the room, but he stopped it.

He still had some additional questions. “So, you’re a ghost, right?”

“Yeah…”

“So does that mean you can change shape and everything?”

Nabstablook nodded. “More so than most monsters, yes. Like this.” The ghost formed more tears, but this time they flew towards the top of his head, forming a top hat. “I call it Dapperblook. Do you like it?”

“It’s a good look, yeah.”

“Heh… Thanks… Heh heh… I really met someone nice today… Oh, I’m rambling again… Here I’ll get out of your way…”

“It was nice to meet you.”

“Yeah… I’ll see you around… I guess…” And with that Nabstablook faded away.

Now on the other side of the of the room, the path split in two directions, however the thick line of lighter stone only went to the left. “Follow the line.” He whispered, leaving the other path unexplored. He did not see the sign above his head coming into the next room until it practically hit him in the face.

_Did you miss it?_ It read, _spider bake sale down and to the right. Spider baked goods by spiders, for spiders, made of spiders. All proceeds go to real spiders._

Or to Ryan’s mind, it read,

_Spider, spider spiders spiders spiders spiders._

“Spiders, huh? Think I’ll pass.”

Ducking under the blasphemous sign, he found himself sharing a room with three more of those frog monsters. The path he followed cut to the right with the room, and the monsters all stood in a row on the edge of that line. He humored the idea of going around them, but they had been harmless so far. They had not reacted to his entrance, but the first spoke up as he walked past, never taking its eyes off the wall but clearly addressing him. “Ribbit, ribbit,” the first one started. He was tempted to ignore it and move on. It would probably not even notice, be he was too curious, so he stopped. “Did you konw, hmuan, taht msot pelpoe can raed wrods eevn if the letetrs are out of oerdr. I don’t konw if taht’s hfpeull to you at all, but it’s a ptrety naet tcirk. I fnuod it inesinterg at laest… Anyway, I’ll let you get back to your business. Ribbit.”

Ryan didn’t really know how to respond to the frog, he wasn’t even sure what it was saying for most of it. But, before he could inquire further, he could tell the frog was already back in its own world. He even poked it lightly between the eyes to try to get some sort of response, but nothing happened. He moved on.

“Ribbit, ribbit.” The second frog said as he approached. “I heard that you can use ‘F4’ to do a lot of things. Like in some games it will make you have a full screen, or when writing on a computer it will repeat whatever you did last. Like in some games it will make you have a full screen, or when writing on a computer it will repeat whatever you did last. It seems very interesting, but what is an ‘F4?’ What does ‘F4’ stand for? Four frogs? I have only ever seen a maximum of three frogs in this room. This is troubling, to say the least. Ribbit.”

“Umm… Alright, you work on that…” Again, no response. To be honest, he could barely tell if these frogs were breathing.

The third frog also spoke up. Strangely enough, this one did look at him. “Ribbit, ribbit. I have heard you are quite merciful, for a human. I hope you will continue to be. After all, you might one day come to regret hurting someone. And if that happens, it’s not like you can go back in time and fix it. You’ll have to live with the consequences of your actions. So, I think it would be best to not do anything rash. But, it’s your life. You may do what you wish. I can’t stop you.”

He looked at the frog as if it were about to jump him. He waited for it to say more this time, but like the others it did not. “Well, that was heavy…” All three of the frogs were now back to their statuesque state and he had several more unanswered questions now. But he would find no answers there.

As he made it to the other side of the room, his phone rang again. There was an instant he thought that it might be someone other than Toriel. He was not sure why he thought that; there was no one else who would call him, even if he had been missing for almost a full day. It would not have been the first time he decided to extend a trip without telling anyone, or making it home without telling his friends he made it. No one would be looking for him.

“Hello?” Came Toriel’s voice when he answered it. Her natural happiness seemed able to melt him out of his bad mood. “I just realized that it has been a while since I last cleaned up. I was not expecting to have company so soon. There are probably a lot of things lying about here and there. You can take any of them if you like.”

“Okay… Wait, you don’t mean around here, do you?”

He heard her giggle on the other end before answering, “No, silly. You would not want any of that junk. I’ll show you what I mean in a little bit. Stay safe.” She hung up before he could say more.

“What could she be doing?” He asked himself as he went into the next room.

He paused. Along the side walls were six open doors and another closed door was on the opposite end. There was no indication as to which door was the right way. But he had to guess, he say it was the one that was closed. By each open doorway, there was a hole in the ground, wide enough for him to fit through easily, that looked like it had been smashed with a hammer. Peering down the nearest one, he saw another room beneath. More leaves were piled below.

He thought about jumping, he was not sure why. There was absolutely no guarantee what happened the last two times would happen again. Perhaps he was just being spiteful in that he would not fall down again. Ultimately, he went to the door next to the hole. It led to a staircase that brought him to the room he had seen above. It was a small room, not even wide enough for him to outstretch both arms, if he were able, and it was empty but for the leaves. Or was it?

Sticking up out of the ground by the pile of leaves was a cluster of much more green leaves. But the strange part was that it was not growing under the light. Ryan brushed away some of the clutter and gave the plant a tug. “What the…?” It came up relatively easily and with it what looked like a carrot the size of his arm and nearly three times as thick. “Carrot?” As he turned it over in his hands, trying to figure out why a lone carrot was growing out of the stone down here, let alone one this big, a part of the vegetable seemed to move as he looked it over. He watched in fright as a whole side of the vegetable turned into the hollow visage of a face which made Ryan jump and drop it. The carrot instantly sprung back up and balanced on its end. For a moment, it just stared at him. The door was behind him; he did not believe the strange monster would not follow. Before he could think further, the sight of food made his stomach growl. He must have been hungrier than he thought. He tried to cover it with a cough, hoping the monster was not offended.

But the monster jumped in response to his stomach’s declaration. Then, from its side a part of it seemed to break off and fell to the ground. The carrot bounced away from it. “Eat your greens!” It said in a shrill voice. He looked back and forth between the monster and what it dropped. It seemed to be waiting for him to take it. He picked it up and turned it over. It looked like a regular, normal sized carrot; no face this time. Ryan looked to the monster that was looking back at him like a shriveled jack-o-lantern. Hesitantly, he took a bite of the carrot. It tasted normal enough. The monster hopped once more and let out a screech in what he could only hope was joy before it jumped back into the hole it came from and disappeared. Ryan looked at the carrot that had come off the monster and put the rest on the ground. “Let’s not and say we did, shall we?”

He went back up and decided to try a different direction. The doorway on the opposite side led to a room that was much the same. He almost went immediately back up before he saw something else on the ground besides the leaves again. Not a monster this time, but a tattered red ribbon. “Now where did this come from?” He asked himself, squatting down next to it. Figuring another monster must have dropped it there, he put it in his pocket.

A shout from above him caught his attention as he straightened. He turned in time to see something hit the ground in a wash of scattered leaves. It groaned as they settled. He ran over to help it. “You okay?” He asked as he extended a hand to the monster. It was the Loox, or perhaps _a_ Loox, it did not seem to recognize him as he tried to help it to its feet. In fact the monster slapped away his help. “I can stand up just fine!” It shouted. “What do you want?” it asked once it was standing again. If the fall had hurt the monster, it did not show it. It had looked like it had hit a great deal harder than he had in similar situations. It seemed he may have been right about attempting to jump.

“Nothing, you fell. I just wanted to make sure you were alright.” Ryan assured it.

The monster still looked at him, outraged. “What, so you can pick on me because I did something stupid like forget there was a hole in the ground?”

“I wasn’t planning on it, no.”

This Loox was very touchy, it seemed. It pointed an accusing finger at him. “Well, are you planning on it now?”

“No…”

“Good!” The two stared at each other for a moment before the monster’s anger seemed to melt away. “Who are you? Never seen your kind before.”

Ryan guessed that was the end of it. Seeing as the other of its kind had not steered him wrong yet, he decided to ask this one for help as well. “I’m actually pretty lost. I was supposed to be waiting for someone, but… anyway, I just could use some help getting through this room.”

“Who were you supposed to wait for?”

He was hoping to avoid that question. “A white goat monster.”

“The queen? What are you…? No, I won’t ask. It’s none of my business.” The monster looked him up and down consideringly. “I guess I could help you out, but you got to help me with something too.” It gestured around it. “These rooms down here have a tendency to accumulate some neat stuff. One of them has the switch to open the door up there, but I forget which. So we’ll split up and look for it. While we do, if you happen across anything interesting or shiny, be sure to grab it for me.”

Ryan nodded. “Sounds reasonable.” The monster nodded as well and they walked back to the room above together.

“I’ll take left, you take right.” The monster pointed to the walls respectively. And they turned down the next set of doorways.

The room below did not hold the switch, but it did hold a familiar ghost. Just as before, it was lying on the pile of leaves and staring up at nothing. “Trying to sleep again, Nabstablook?” He asked as he leaned over the monster.

“No… I fell down a hole… Now I can’t get up… Go on without me…” He said, defeated.

Ryan raised an eyebrow. “Don’t ghosts float?” He asked.

“Oh, right… Oh well…” Nabstablook just continued to lie there.

“You okay?”

“Yeah… I’m fine… Just going to stay here for a while…”

Seeing no reason to stop the monster, he left him to his business.

As he made it back up, the Loox was nowhere to be seen, so he went into the next room. It was also empty. The fact actually disappointed him slightly. The floor rumbled as he was climbing the stairs back up. “I found the switch!” The Loox exclaimed as they rejoined each other above. The closed door was still sliding open as they spoke. “How about you, find anything interesting?”

“Just a ghost and this ribbon.” He told the monster, fishing the red ribbon out of his pocket. The Loox looked at it curiously.

“Well, you can keep that. I got no use for it.” He replaced the ribbon in his pocket.

The two walked out of the room together. Ryan peaked over his shoulder for a moment and thought he saw what might have been a flower. It was gone in an instant. He pushed the thought away.

“So where are you trying to get to?” the monster asked him.

“I don’t know, wherever Toriel would have gone, I guess.”

“Hmm… Well, she probably went Home, and you sure chose a weird way to get there.”

“There’s more than one way through this mess?”

“Several. And almost no monsters come this way anymore. Too many traps hidden so that you don’t know they’re there until they get you. Enough of this place has been cleared out that no one has bothered with the rest. Still, even for someone like me who’s lived here their whole life, you can get lost pretty easily.” He stopped and looked back at him for a moment. “Well, you’re close enough now that I suppose I can help you the rest of the way. I got to head the same way anyway to get back to the ruins.”

“Where are the ruins?” He asked the monster before he could stop himself. That was probably not the best thing to ask a monster who still thought he was a monster. And the Loox looked back at him with the suspicion he expected.

“Right next to Home. Just how lost are you?”

“Pretty lost.” Thankfully, the answer seemed to satisfy the monster and it started to walk again.

Unlike Toriel, this monster did seem one for small talk. Shortly after they were on their way again, it asked, “So, do you have a name? Do you go by species or are you one of those one-off monsters that pick their own name and all that? You definitely have the look of one: big, weird looking.”

“My name’s Ryan.” He told it, making sure to clarify that time. “As for being a one-off, I wouldn’t put money on that. What about you, you got a name?”

The monster shrugged. “More of a nickname, really. They call me ‘Eyewalker.’” He could not help but chuckle at that. The monster rounded on him. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing.” He assured it. “I just know someone with a similar name.”

“Oh really? They cool at all?”

“Pretty cool.”

The two past several paths and corridors, keeping to the line that ran down the center of the floor. They eventually stopped in front of a doorway that looked no different than any other. Beyond it, Ryan could see a lit room filled with haphazardly placed columns. They entered after a second, not really sure why they had stopped in the first place.

The room curved off to the right where another door stood open. The Loox pointed at one of several strange looking things sticking out of the ground by the pillars. They were all different colors and were shaped a bit like mushrooms. “Remember these.” It said as it walked to far end of the room.

Ryan’s eye caught a sign by the entrance, it said,

_The far door is not an exit. It simply marks a rotation in perspective._

“Now, you see that sounds like space stuff.” He turned away from the sign and studied the exit his companion had gone through. It looked ordinary enough. “I don’t like space stuff.”

After closer inspection, Ryan stepped through the door himself. He felt no dimensional shift, no sudden chill that marked the traverse of great distances instantaneously and he hadn’t aged at all, however he did note that room he was now in looked almost exactly like the one had just been in. The only difference was the far door in this room was definitely blocked off. On another wall was yet another sign.

_If you can read this, press the blue switch._

It was written in plain English. “Why would I not be able to read this?” He looked around and saw that the sign from the other room was still there along with additional signs telling him to press a red switch and a green switch. He was not sure what to do.

“This room is a bit tricky.” The Loox told him from the center of the room. “It helps to think of it from a top-down perspective where the room before curves downward so that this room would curve to the left. Try to think which walls would be visible from that perspective and that’s the sign that tells you the right switch. You get it?”

“No…” Definitely space stuff.

“Well, I won’t waste your time. It’s the blue switch.” Ryan searched around for the blue switch, hiding behind one of the columns, and pressed it. The switch depressed with a squeak and the door rumbled open.

The next room was the same as the two before. “This one’s the red switch. It would be so much more manageable if these puzzles didn’t reset after a period of time. I get they were supposed to be for trapping humans, but what human would come here: the deepest part or the Underground? No one’s even here anymore! I mean there are monsters here, but most moved out a long time ago. I heard there’s a new city closer to the barrier. But the only monsters that are able to make it out of here anymore are a bunch of spiders and they love to spread rumors. So I don’t give that story much credit.”

While the monster was going on, Ryan found the red switch hiding behind another one of the columns, pressed it, and watched the door slide open. The Loox was still talking about something to do with the logistics of making an exact copy of a place that had been abandoned for what was apparently a good reason as Ryan walked into the next room and went ahead and pressed the only other switch that had not been pressed yet. The door rumbled open. “Hey, you’re getting pretty good at this.” The monster told him.

“It was just deduction.”

The monster shrugged, “Still.” They walked out of the room into one that was, at last, different than the rest. The first thing Ryan noticed was the ceiling was high above them now; the passageway they found themselves in part of some much larger dome, the edge of which climbed up above where they entered. “Here we are. Home again, Home again.” The Loox said.

Something clicked in Ryan’s head at that moment. “Wait, those rooms were at right angles and there were four of them. They should have led us in a perfect circle. How did we end up here?”

“Don’t think about it too hard. It ain’t worth the headache.” The Loox pointed to a path to the left. “The queen lives just up that way. If she asks how you got here, leave my name out of it.”

“And is that how to get to the ruins?” Ryan asked, pointing to the only other path that went straight ahead before turning to the left as well.

“Sure is. Have you ever seen them?” He shook his head. “Do you wanna?”

They walked down the path towards the ruins and, as they rounded the corner, Ryan’s breath caught. Before him was a massive city, far bigger than he had pictured in his head. Stone towers and walls stretched as far as he could see beneath the stone dome that was easily a mile across. They stepped out of the corridor onto a balustrade lined staircase that led to a wide street which bisected the city into two mirrored halves. He could even see spots of movement below, monsters moving up and down the street and between the buildings; far more than he had expected to see. “Quite the place, huh?” The Loox inquired. Ryan could not answer; he was too stunned to tear his eyes off of what was below him.

Eventually, the monster gave up on trying to get a response. “Well, I’ll see you around, maybe.” The Loox walked down the stairs and was lost among the crowd not long after.

“It just keeps getting weirder.” He said to himself. He shook his head to snap himself out of his trance. He almost could not believe all of this was down here. He had to force himself to go back into the room above. There would be time to think about all of that later.

“Ribbit.” He heard to his side as he left the ruins behind. He turned to see yet another of the frog monsters squatting in the corner. “Ribbit. Greetings, human. Just between you and me, I saw Toriel come out of here a little while ago. She was carrying some groceries. I didn’t ask what they were for… We’re all too intimidated to talk to her, ribbit.” After, the frog bounced out of the hall and down the stairs.

“Groceries?” Ryan whispered. He realized, then, that Toriel had not called him in a while now. He hoped that meant that she had not yet gone back to see him no longer where he was supposed to be. Though in hindsight, showing up at her door probably would not get him off any easier. But he turned down the direction the Loox had told him either way, and he came upon a giant tree. The tree was completely bare; the bark was darker than charcoal and it looked just as brittle. It did not look like it was capable of growing leaves anymore. Though, piles of them were gathered beneath it. They were the same as those he had seen all over the catacombs.

As he went up to take a closer look, he thought he heard Toriel’s voice. His first instinct was to hide, but he had already submitted to his fate when he decided to go this far. Avoiding her now would just make it worse. Instead, he leaned around the tree and saw that the monster was coming his way. “Oh dear, that took longer than I thought it would.” She was saying to herself. Her eyes glanced over to him for a moment and then snapped back as she realized who was standing there. She ran over to him. “How did you manage to get here, child?” She asked as she took a hold of him to make sure he was really there.

Ryan scratched his head awkwardly. There was no escaping it now. What would come would come; he might as well just tell her. “Sorry, the combination of isolation, silence, and darkness got to me. I know it was stupid and I should have just called to say something, but…”

She looked him up and down with concern. There was not even a hint of anger at him disobeying her and lying to her. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

The fact that he might have gotten away scot-free made him blink, but he did not dwell on it. “Just my arm, still, but I think that probably won’t fix itself for a while.” He told her. His arm did throb slightly, but it was still nothing unbearable.

Toriel wrapped him in a hug that made his arm hurt quite a lot more than it had a moment ago. “Oh, I should not have left you alone for so long.” She said once she let him go. “It was irresponsible to try to surprise you like this.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it. It was my fault.” Then her words fully reached him. “Surprise?”

Now Toriel looked embarrassed. “Well, I suppose I can’t hide it any longer. Come… Ryan.” She held out her hand for him and he took it. They walked past the strange tree towards the entrance to a small building carved out of the rocks that he had somehow missed before that moment. They walked up to a doorway with a large plaque engraved above it. It simply said ‘Home.’

The inside of the house was plainly furnished, but quaint with a wooden floor and pale walls that softened the light that was not from torches, he was surprised to find, but bulbs fitted in the ceiling. Very few pieces of furniture filled the foyer, just a small cabinet and bookshelf against the back wall. No pictures or art covered the walls, only a few empty frames and candle holders. Small pots of flowers were all that broke up the room. In its center was a staircase that led down to parts unknown. “Welcome home.” Toriel said as she turned to him.

It was warm and it was cozy. It somehow made Ryan feel welcome the moment he stepped in the door. He took a deep breath, glad to finally have the hard part behind him, and smelled… pie?

“Do you smell that? Surprise!” Toriel went on after she must have seen the look on his face. “It is a butterscotch-cinnamon pie. I thought we might celebrate your arrival. I want you to have a nice time living here, so I’ll hold off on snail pie for tonight.”

“I see…” Ryan managed. “Wait, living?”

“Here, I have another surprise for you.” She took his hand and led him down a hallway to one side of the house. Three doors lined one side. They stopped in front of the first. The wood of the door was covered in marks as if things had frequently been hung from it. And as Toriel opened the door, he saw why. The bedroom was fully furnished. A small bed sat in one corner with a tall lamp hanging over it. There was a dresser, a bookshelf and a small desk. But it was everything else that caught his eye. Around the bed were several toys and stuffed animals, all of them looked well used and worn. The books on the shelves were all children’s books. On the wall hung several pictures that looked to be done in crayon. It was as if a small child had called this room their own not very long ago. “This is it: a room of your own. I hope you like it.” Toriel was saying as he stepped inside.

He walked around the room practically in a daze. It felt surreal. He went over to the bookshelf. On top of it were a music box and an empty picture frame, both covered in dust. “Sorry if the bed is a bit small, it is what I had available.”

Her words broke him from his trance. He tore his eyes from the empty picture frame and gave her a reassuring smile. “That’s fine. I sleep on my stomach so I actually prefer if my feet hang off the bed a bit. It’s actually more comfortable.” As if to make his point, he sat down on the bed.

Toriel giggled. “I cannot tell if you actually mean that or are just saying it to try to make me feel better. You seem to be the kind of person who will say or do anything to not inconvenience someone. If you have any problems here, please, do not be afraid to voice them. I will not hate you, my child.” Her eyes went to his arm. “Here, let me try to heal that again.” She sat down beside him and gently took off the sling and pulled up his sleeve. “I do not understand; it looks fine. Why isn’t it healed?”

Ryan looked at his arm too. She was right; his upper arm _did_ look fine. With how his arm had been throbbing, he had expected it be swollen like a balloon by this point. “I’m pretty sure it’s broken.” He told her.

“Broken? Broken how?” She asked in confusion. “It is an arm and it is still attached. How can it be broken?”

She did not seem to understand what he meant, so he clarified. “Like, the bone is broken.”

“Bone?”

“Humans have bones, yes.”

She looked as if she suddenly remembered something and nodded. “I see. I am sorry, my child, I cannot heal what I cannot see. Too much could go wrong.”

“That’s fine.” He told her. And it was. The pain truly did not trouble him much. It was much more bearable than when he had first woken up. “My arms not hanging at any weird angles, so it can’t be too bad of a break. It should heal on its own eventually, if I’m careful.”

“And how long does something like that take?”

Ryan shook his head in lieu of a shrug. “It depends. For something like this, a few weeks probably.”

She frowned. “You are all right with this?”

“Not much I can do about it. Don’t worry; human bodies are pretty good at fixing themselves.”

Toriel nodded as if she were affirming some sort of old knowledge as she helped him put his arm back in the sling. “I suppose they are. And I know what will help.” Suddenly she looked worried and sniffed the air. “Oh no, is it burning?” She said as she got up and ran out of the room.

Ryan breathed deeply and looked around the room again. The red walls reminded him of the room he had had when he was younger. “Home.” He whispered to himself. The monster had said something about him living there after just saying she was bringing him here to see about his arm. “What is going on?” His phone beeped in his pocket, low battery. He pulled it and the charger he always carried out and started searching the walls. There was an open socket next to the lamp and he plugged it in. “Same power outlets. What are the odds of that?”

For a while, he lay on the bed and stared at nothing. He tried to sort things out in his head, but thoughts and questions were all blurry in his exhaustion fogged mind. His stomach growled reminding him he had had nothing to eat that day aside from a piece of candy and a bite from a questionable carrot. He got up and left the room.

Deciding to explore a bit first, he walked down the rest of the length of the hallway. The other two doors were closed so he let them be. On the far end of the hall was a mirror. After a measure of hesitation he walked up to it.

He looked well, considering he had almost fallen to his death not long ago. His short, dirty blond hair was slightly disheveled and his hazel eyes made him look as exhausted as he felt. His was a face just shy of handsome that had never known facial hair and barely knew blemishes. A few dark spots dotted his jaw. Many would describe his appearance as boyish, and he was inclined to agree. Maturity was never a word that fit him and in more ways than one. His clothing was marked with dirt and looked as if he had slept in them. Well, he had, he supposed, twice now. The plain blue and gray long-sleeved shirt had a few small holes but was certainly salvageable and he would never get rid of a pair of jeans short of a leg being ripped off them.

Not for the first time, he felt as if the reflection were not him, even as it moved in time with him. He turned away from the mirror and went towards the smell of pie.

He followed the smell back across the foyer to the other side of the house, stopping to take a quick peek down the staircase that revealed little aside from darkness. Before he reached the source of the smell, he found Toriel reading a well-worn book in a large, comfy looking chair. She sat in front of a large fireplace made of a yellow brick that took up half of the one wall of the room. The other half was taken up by a much taller bookshelf than the one in the other room and another doorway. On the other side of the room was a large dining table that had a potted plant in the center. Three chairs surrounded it, one smaller than the other two. “Hello. I managed to save the pie. It should be ready in a minute.” Toriel said to him as she looked up from her book and saw him standing there. She pushed her reading glasses back up her nose and saw that he looked troubled. “Is everything all right?” She asked.

Ryan gave a forced laugh and went to sit at the table. “I don’t know. I mean, I was driving home this morning. Now I’m I don’t know where, and have no idea what’s going on or what’s going to happen.” He took a deep breath to calm himself. He had almost choked on the last words. “How would you feel? I’m confused, to say the least.”

Toriel closed her book and went over to sit next to him. “I am sorry, child.” She told him. “I understand this must he hard. But one must learn to make do with what they are given.”

Ryan nodded. “I know. The wheel of time weaves and wills, as they say.”

“Do humans say that?”

“No, but they should.” He gave her a half-smile. It must have convinced her that he was somewhat okay, because she gave him one in turn. She put a hand on his shoulder.

“How about we eat? That should make you feel better.” She stood up and went toward the doorway at the far side of the room. Ryan guessed it must be the kitchen. “We’ll answer some of your questions too.” She shouted from around the corner before coming back holding a large pie, plates and utensils. She cut out a piece and placed it on the plate in front of him. “I’m sure you must have plenty by now.” She finished as she sat down next to him with her own slice.

He looked down at the pie. Before any questions came to him, he had to get something out of the way. With an embarrassed look, he told her. “I probably should have said this earlier, but I’m allergic to gluten.”

Her brow furrowed in confusion. “Gluten?” She asked him.

“It’s a thing in wheat. So I don’t think I can eat this pie without in coming back up later. Sorry.”

Toriel smiled again. “Don’t worry, child, I can assure you that you will be fine. You’ll find that food down here is a bit different than where you are from.”

He was suddenly even more hesitant to try the pie. “How so?”

She seemed to struggle to find the right words. “For one, the food is mostly made with magic.”

“What’s the rest made out of?”

“How about we discus that later? Please try it.” Ryan hesitantly picked up the fork and took a bite. It was sweet and warm and very delicious. “Is it good?” She asked him.

“Definitely.”

“And how do you feel?”

“We’ll find out tomorrow…” He ate the rest of the slice quickly, and then took another. As he ate, he began to feel as if he had had a good night’s rest and more besides. Before he knew it, the pie was gone and he barely felt full.

“Um, I want you to know how glad I am to have someone here.” She told him while they ate. She sounded excited at the notion. As she went on, she only became more and more excited. “There are so many old books I want to share with you. I want to show you my favorite bug-hunting spot. I've also prepared a curriculum for your education.”

He nearly choked on a bite. “Hold on, I think you’re getting ahead of yourself. You make it sound like I’m going to be living here from now on.”

For just a moment Toriel looked like she was about to cry, but it was quickly hidden away behind a look of calm stoicism. “Of course you will, my child. I suppose I should tell you now. There is no way out of the Underground. As I have said, monsters have been trapped under this mountain for a thousand years and that is no different for any human who ends up here as well.” Ryan’s shock must have been plain on his face for she wrapped her arms around him. “I am sorry, but it is the truth. Do not worry you will come to like it here, I promise.” She let him go.

“No, it’s okay.” He told her after a moment, still staring through the table. “It’s okay.” In an instant he was smiling up at her again. “One problem, though. I’ve already received enough of a formal education for one lifetime.”

“Oh? Well, you see, I have always wanted to be a teacher…”

“Sorry, but I think fifteen years of school is enough for me.”

“Fifteen? How old are you, my child?”

“Twenty.” He said flatly.

The monster looked half shocked and half as if she did not believe him. “Oh… You look much younger than that.”

“I get that a lot.”

“I see.” The monster took a moment to clear her throat. “Well, maybe not a full curriculum then. But I should still teach you about the world of monsters and how it works.”

“I would love to have some light shed on that subject.”

“Then ask away, my child. There are still some hours before we should turn in.”


	4. Home

Ryan sat high in the branches of the tree that grew in front of Toriel’s house reading one of the worn books she kept all over the place. The day had been about as peaceful as any had been in his time since arriving. Though, it had certainly been quieter than some. And, try as he might, the words on the page could not keep his interest. With a sigh, he started to swing himself down from the tree. His arm had been fine for weeks now, and it still shocked him how little time it had taken to heal. Ultimately, he contributed it to the food. He had not gotten sick the first night, or any night after. In fact he felt the best he had his whole life.

In addition to the strange food, he had learned a good deal about monsters in the first few days he had made this place home.

 

“…Then ask away, my child. There are still some hours before we should turn in.” Toriel had told him the first night.

Ryan took a moment to think of where to start. “Well, I guess we should start at the beginning. What exactly happened a thousand years ago?”

Toriel looked like that was an old pain she would rather ignore, but as he was about to ask a different question she answered, “A thousand years ago the humans attacked us. We can only speculate as to why, any attempts to end the hostilities were only met with more violence. We may never know their reason behind their actions.

“Monsters did their best to defend themselves, a few even fought back. But it was hopeless, humans are far more powerful than monsters, and we were driven back into this mountain until we could go no further. Then, the humans created an indestructible barrier to keep us trapped here forever.

“We accepted our fate, at first, for we still had our lives. And after a war like that, that was enough. So, we built ourselves a new home.” She gestured around herself. “And we called it Home.” She giggled to herself. “As great as our king is, he is pretty lousy with names.”

Ryan remembered something the other monsters had told him. “So you have a king?” He asked.

Curtly, she responded. “Yes, we do.”

“Do you have a queen?”

She looked at him half puzzled half shocked, but, like always, she hid it well. “The queen has been missing for a long time.”

He did not really understand why she would lie about who she was, but just going right for it would not get him any answers. He would have to approach that from a different angle. But before he could as another question, she asked one of her own. “If you do not mind, child. How _did_ you manage to get here by yourself?”

Ryan remembered something else the other monsters had told him. “I guess I was just lucky.” She took his answer without quite seeming to accept it.

He went back to his own questions. “You said something about humans being stronger than monsters, what do you mean?”

Toriel chuckled. “You say you are educated, child, and yet you do not even know about souls?” The monster brought a hand up to cover her mouth. “Oh, I am sorry. That was rude.” While she was apologizing, he gripped at the front of his shirt. “Perhaps you are aware, though.”

“The light in my chest.” Ryan started to explain. “That had never been there before I woke up down here.”

“Interesting… That is indeed your soul, child. Both humans and monsters have them, but human souls have always been far stronger. And that is how they were able to defeat us so easily.” She paused and stood up from the table. “Perhaps that is enough for tonight, you look exhausted.”

He felt exhausted again, he realized. Apparently whatever energy he had gotten from the food was not actually a replacement for a good night’s sleep. He nodded in agreement and let himself be led back to the room he had been shown before. The next thing he knew he was lying on the bed and watching Toriel turn off the light in the corner. Small bed of not, he fell asleep without issue into dreams of running through fields of golden flowers.

The next day, Ryan awoke to an alarm he had forgotten was set on his phone. With a groan, he got up from the bed to where his phone was plugged into the wall and turned the alarm off just as a knock came to the door. “Is everything alright?” Toriel shouted on from the hallway. “I heard a strange noise.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He reassured her. “It was just something I set to wake me up.” He unplugged his phone and made sure to turn off the second alarm set for five minutes later before shoving it in his pocket.

“Oh. All right.” She responded. “Breakfast will be ready in a minute.” He heard her walk back towards the kitchen.

Ryan clicked the light on and decided to look around the room again. Opening the dresser, he saw that it was filled with stripped shirts and dark pants, all of them too small for him. He would need another shirt sooner or later, but he, at least, was an adult small. He decided to bring it up with Toriel later.

All of the books on the bookshelf truly were all worn copies of children’s books from Goodnight Moon to Winnie the Pooh. Why would she have all of these? And more importantly, why would she leave them all here? Would it be rude to ask her to move them? Perhaps there was another room he could take…

He turned his attention to the music box on top of the shelves. It was a red to match the walls and ornately carved and gilded with vines and leaves. It looked worth a small fortune and very out of place with the simplistic décor that filled the rest of the house. He opened the lid; a complex arrangement of brass gears filled both halves of the box. To one side, a key stuck out. He turned it. The music box wound up and the gears began to turn. Soon, metallic notes began to ring through the room and he froze.

He recognized the song, and it was no child’s lullaby.

He slammed the music box closed hard enough that he thought he may have broken it, and took it with him as he left the room.

In the kitchen, Toriel stood in front of a stove stirring something in a large pan when she saw him walk in. “Good morning… Ryan. I should only be another moment.” She saw what he was holding. “What is the matter, child?”

Her smile had made him forget what he was going to say. Instead, he put the music box down on the counter. “I think it’s broken.” He told her. “Just wanted to let you know.”

“I see. Thank you. I will see what can be done about it. It would be a shame if it could not be fixed. It was…” Her words drifted away in his mind as he went to sit down at the table in the adjoining room. He was lost in his thoughts until a plate was put in front of him and Toriel sat down across the table.

“How does your arm feel today?” She asked him.

“Better.” He guessed. It did not really feel any better, but it was not worse either.

“You will have to forgive me. I am not used to injuries that cannot be healed instantly or are not gone by the next day. I will most likely fret over it a bit.”

That brought up another question he had yet to have answered. “Hey, Toriel. How do you do that whole healing thing?”

“Why, magic, of course.”

He knew she had used that as an answer before, but he had just glossed over it until this point. “You’re joking, right?”

“I certainly am not. Magic is what makes the world work; it is how monsters exist.”

He snorted. “Magic is a thing of myth that has not been believed in for the better part of at least two hundred years and was met skepticism long before that.”

In response, Toriel raised her hand and a small flame sprung up from it out of thin air. “I assure you, it is quite real.” Ryan dropped his fork. “It is a shame that you know so little about the world. Magic is an extraordinary thing.”

“Can you teach me how to do that?” He asked her eagerly.

She hesitated for a moment, long enough that he was sure she was going to say no before she nodded her head. “I suppose it will not hurt. But first, you should eat.”

He looked down at his plate. He was not quite sure what it was, but he did not ask that or what was in it; that hardly mattered. It only mattered whether or not it tasted good. Which it did, he found as he took a fork full. It tasted close enough to bacon that any thoughts about what Toriel had said last night regarding food was forgotten. Once more, as he ate, he felt a surge of energy. And once he was done, he felt like he could eat six more.

“The food is not causing you issue, I suppose?” Toriel asked once he had cleared his plate.

He shook his head. “The opposite, actually. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this good.”

“That is good to hear.” Relief was plain on her face, more so than he would have expected. She seemed to have forgotten his earlier inquiry, so he reminded her.

“So, about teaching me magic?”

Toriel looked uncomfortable again. “Let us save that for later, shall we? I have some errands I need to run, and I would like you to take it easy your first day here. Her eyes went to his arm, but before he could say anything to assure her it was fine, she stood up and walked over to the bookshelf against the other wall saying, “In the meantime, why not learn a bit more about monsters.” She scanned through some of the higher shelves until she pulled out one of the well-worn volumes from its place and handed it to him. It was a hand-bound leather book with a blank cover. It was wrinkled and cracked in some areas and the pages were yellow with age. He opened to the first page. Written on it by hand was the title ‘A Study of Monsters and Humans’ the authors name beneath it was scribbled out. He flipped through the pages; the whole thing was hand written. The book must have been old indeed. “This should be the perfect place to start.” She told him.

He started to read at the table as the monster started getting ready to leave and he was fully engrossed by the time she told him she would be back in a little while. The book most definitely answered his questions.

_Unlike humans, monsters are made almost purely from magic. This fact allows them to assume any and all forms, as can be easily observed. They need not care about the physical limitations of reality because their very nature hardly adheres to it. They have no organs, no blood, nothing! In fact, they have very little matter to them at all._

_It has been observed that, once a monster dies, it turns to dust, soul and all. I had the fortune of being able to attend one of their funerals where all of the gathered dust is spread upon the thing that the monster loved most. It was quite heartwarming._

Much of the rest of the book was written like that, stories and descriptions from the author or information gathered directly from monsters themselves. He guessed the author must have been a human, but why cross out the name?

He had finished the book before he realized he was even more than half way through. It had answered much but neglected to cover a few things, such as why were humans stronger than monsters if they could grow to be the size of mountains? And why had humans driven them underground? The book had also described something about human souls persisting after death, writing about what sounded similar to the light still shining through his shirt hovering above a recently deceased human for all causes but old age. He had certainly never seen floating hearts above anyone before, and he had never believed in life after death anyway.

Maybe one of the other books would have answers. He walked over to the shelf and looked over the bunch after replacing the one he had read. Most were cookbooks, he found. He took one of those and scanned through it. Though, it was less of a cookbook and more a spell book, listing numerous ways to get the desired taste and appearance. The actual physical part of the food could apparently be anything. Even rocks! Though it did make note to be sure to check if any of the rocks could talk before using them.

He had read in the other book that monsters had no real reason to eat since their bodies were magic, that they did so purely for the pleasure of it. Monsters could gather energy directly from any magical source. The food was simply another way to do that, and was not digested in the normal sense but directly absorbed. Perhaps that was why he felt a sudden rush of energy whenever he ate. It certainly explained the lack of bathrooms.

More of the books were about snails and other subterranean creatures. One volume caught his eye that looked different from the rest. It looked more elegant and more preserved than all the rest with silver vines running up and down the spine. He pulled it out from the shelf. In gilded letters across the front it said, ‘The Early Days.’ He opened to the first page.

_Asgore and I went back to the cave today to investigate. In truth, we wanted to know why the humans retreated just as much as everyone else. To have us cornered only to turn back made no sense with how they have behaved thus far._

_We were not ready when we found the answer. I had never known Asgore to cry, for any reason. Yet what the humans did made us both weep. They have trapped us using a magic more powerful than any I have ever seen, the weaving so intricate I have no idea where to even begin examining it._

_It surrounds the whole mountain, preventing anything from escaping. Though it seems to only manifest itself physically here. Any power drawn into it is lost in a flood; absorbed like a drop of water in a vast ocean. Any power taken from it seems replaced immediately. No one is taking the news well…_

_Though he does not fully believe it himself, Asgore had tried to keep hopes high. He has decreed the building of a city, that we will live our lives in our new home just as we would on the surface. I miss the sunset just as much as him…_

Ryan knew as much already, he supposed. Only he had no idea who Asgore was or who had written this journal. There were no dates either. He flipped ahead a bit and continued reading.

_The city is becoming crowded to the point where some are thinking about leaving, though none particularly like the idea of being any closer to that barrier. It may become necessary soon regardless. Asgore and I talked about it a bit last night. He assured me that we would be staying here. “I called this place Home for a reason.” He told me. I still think that name was a poor decision._

A sound from the other room made him stop reading and hastily put the book back. Toriel walked into the room carrying a basket with a cloth over it. “Done with the book already? I guess I should not be surprised. You seem like a quick reader. What did you think?”

“It was definitely informative.” He told her.

“Did it answer all of you questions?”

“I still have a few.”

“Well then, why don’t we talk while I make lunch?”

As they went to the kitchen, Ryan tried to think of what he wanted to ask first. “So, is there more to the Underground beyond the ruins?”

Toriel placed the basket on the counter next to the stove and went over to the sink to wash her hands. “There is.” She told him. “Much more. But it’s impossible to get to it, I’m afraid. The way has been blocked off for some time.”

He vaguely remembered one of the Loox mentioning something along those lines. “How much more is there?”

For an answer, she told him, “In the cabinet in the other room there’s a rolled up piece of paper. Would you grab it for me?”

He nodded and went into the foyer. The cabinet held several more books and, next to them, was the rolled up piece of paper. He pulled it out. The ‘paper’ was at least two feet long, which surprised him. He would have thought ‘tapestry’ would be a better word for it. “I got it.” He yelled.

“Roll it out on the table.” Toriel told him from the kitchen. And so he did, grabbing a few odds and ends to hold down the corners.

It was a map. The whole thing almost covered the table completely. It was hand-drawn and, despite the wear of the paper, the ink looked almost fresh. In the center was what he guessed what must be the overall layout of the Underground, and around it were several more detailed sections. As he took in the whole of it, Toriel walked in and peeked over his shoulder. “There are the ruins.” She said pointing to a large circle with the word ‘Home’ written over it in the center portion. “These are the catacombs.” She went on, sliding her finger to the left to a smaller square off to the side of the ruins. “And we are here.” She finished by pointing to a small dot between the two other places and connected to the rest of the map which dwarfed the ruins in comparison. There was another large circle filled with drawings of snow covered trees, beyond that was a maze of winding tunnels weaving through pictures of waterfalls, continuing past that was a geometric maze next to a drawing of a volcano. And, above it all, was the largest circle of another city with the label ‘New Home.’ He had enough trouble believing something as big as the ruins could exist down here. To think that there was so much beyond that…

“It’s huge.” It was about all he could manage to say about it. He was completely taken aback.

“There are not very many that think that.” Toriel commented.

He looked up at her. “Why?”

“Compared to the surface, this is nothing.”

“True, but still!” He looked out at the map again trying to picture what some of the other areas might look like. It was easier to do than he thought, he realized. “How do you get there?” He traced back for the dot Toriel said represented there house, there was a direct line from there to the forest. A forest underground, how could that work?

“The passage was right beneath us. Down those stairs in the other room. And it would take more power than I possess to open it.”

“What happened?”

“It was an accident, I’m afraid. A spell gone wrong. Magic is a very tricky thing if you go at it too quickly. Much can go wrong.” She was refusing to look at him, he noticed. This must have been painful to talk about. But he had to ask.

“Is it like the barrier?”

Now she turned to him. “Certainly not! No monster will ever be capable of creating something like that.” And then under her breath he heard her add, “God I hope so…”

Ryan changed the topic to the monsters that could be found in the ruins, leaving out any hint that he had met some of them already. Toriel’s mood lightened somewhat, if not completely and they talked well into the evening about that.

That night, he lay in bed staring up at the ceiling, headphones playing music to help him fall asleep, until a certain song came up from the shuffle.

It was the one from the music box.

 

As he landed amongst the leaves that gathered beneath the black tree, he looked down at the book in his hands. He had read nearly every book he could get his hands on down here and had read all of the ones in Toriel’s house at least two or three times each. The monster was most likely cooking dinner at this point, certain to be delicious again tonight, he was sure. He smiled up at the house as he remembered those early days. Toriel had been an excellent caretaker and an even better friend.

 

“… Did you know that snails make very poor shoelaces?” Toriel was telling Ryan snippets from a book she had been reading called ‘72 Snail Facts.’ The two were sitting at the table having just finished lunch. The morning had been slow, but peaceful. He had helped Toriel with a few chores around the house, the ones she would let him help with; her eyes still fell on his wrapped up arm frequently even though he insisted it felt much better already. He could even move it a bit without it hurting. “So what do you think? Interesting, is it not?”

“I don’t think that’s a very good book…” He told her bluntly.

“Why not? Is it not accurate?”

“Well, it’s not _inaccurate_ …” He admitted.

“If you want to talk about something else, why don’t we talk about you? I feel like I still know next to nothing about you child.”

Ryan’s eyes fell to the table. “There’s not much to tell, really.”

“Oh, you undersell yourself, I am sure. What do you like?”

“Reading.” He told her though it was obvious. “Music.”

“Really? Do you play any instruments?”

“I did, but it’s been a few years since I picked anything up.”

“Anything else?”

“Well, there’s paintball.”

“Paintball? What’s that?” That certainly got him talking.

“… And then out of nowhere this tank rolls into the city and starts laying down on us.” Ryan was telling Toriel over dinner some hours later. She seemed to be enjoying his story. She covered her mouth with a hand as she giggled “They drive us out of the city and a wave of guys comes in behind the tank. We’re running and my friend pulls me behind one of the bunkers and says ‘drop your gear.’ Meanwhile my head’s still ringing from the shot I took in the temple from three feet away, so I look at him and I’m like, ‘what?’ And he repeats ‘drop your gear’ and hands me a paint grenade. ‘I’m out of rockets’ he says ‘and we need that tank out.’

“I look at him and I look at the paint grenade and I’m half crazed from exhaustion and pain and I go, ‘Okay.’ So, I drop my gear and start booking it. There are three rows of bunkers between me and it and a wall of enemies, so I’m bobbing and weaving all over the place. Finally I get close enough. I pull the pin and lob it and the second it leaves my hand I get lit up, but it hit and I was so happy.” Ryan broke into laughter himself. “I had people coming up to me tell me to ‘surrender or die’ but I was laughing so hard I could barely put my hands up. And when they saw that I didn’t have any gear they were like, ‘what are you doing?’ That was a great day.”

“And this is what you were doing before you fell down here?” Toriel asked when they were both able to calm down.

“Yeah, I get to go paintballing like, twice a year at most, so I like to make a big trip out of it. My parents would always say ‘well, at least it’s better than drugs.’”

“Do you miss your family? I know it must be hard to be away from them.”

“Not as hard as you’d think.” She looked at him worriedly, so, reluctantly he clarified. “I’m a bit of a disappointment in my family. I dropped out of college, worked a minimum wage job the past couple years, did nothing but stay at home for the most part besides, never took anything seriously. They would always assure me that they were ‘proud’ and that they didn’t care what I did and that I hadn’t ‘found what I was meant to do yet,’ but I could see the look in their eyes. They wanted me to grow up and move on with my life. I may not have been abused, beaten, or anything like that, but sometimes those looks are just as bad.”

“Ryan?” Toriel spoke up after a moment. “Why were you on top of the mountain that day? Don’t you know the legend? ‘Those who climb Mt. Ebbot are never seen from again.’”

Ryan looked away, but he smiled. “This mountain is actually part of a very famous hiking trail,” he told her as he pointed up, “appropriately named, due to the town surrounding it, ‘The Stairway to Heaven.’ The mountain itself, though, has no name that I remember hearing, nor a history of people disappearing that I can remember. As for why I was up there. I’d been going to the top of the mountain since I was a kid. It has a great lookout at the top.”

They both now looked like they wanted to be somewhere else now. Thankfully, Toriel asked him, “How about I start teaching you magic?” His eyes lit up.

Later that night Ryan sat cross legged in the middle of the room. A candle was pressed into the floor across from him. The small flame burned without wavering. Earlier, Toriel had showed him his first example of magic. “Magic can take any form without limitation. Though often the easiest to learn is fire.” She told him as they stood in front of the lit fire place. The flames danced on nothing but air and he had watched it spring to life without a spark before his eyes much like she had in her hand before. “Fire made by magic is highly manipulatable. For example, you can make it as hot as you want. Go ahead, stick your hand in.” He looked up at her like she had six heads. But she just gestured him on.

Slowly, he stuck his hand into the fire place. The flames licked around his fingers, but it did not burn. “How the…” Even as it was happening, he still could not believe it.

“See what I mean? Magic’s only limit is the amount energy you put behind it. With enough power, you can do anything. Now, let us find something for you to try.”

And so, he sat facing the candle on the floor, Toriel standing behind his shoulder.

“Try to make the flame sway.” She told him.

Ryan looked up at her in confusion. “How?”

She pointed at her head and then to the candle. “Focus and transmit your energy through the air to the flame.”

He raised an eyebrow. “There’s a reason why humans think this is fake…”

“What?”

“‘Send my energy through the air?’ It sounds like a load of crap to me.”

“But that is how magic works.” She said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “You use the energy in your body in tangent with the magic energy all around us to structure your thoughts and give them a physical form.”

He still felt like he was dancing around a circle he could not see into. “The magic all around us?”

“Yes, can’t you feel it?”

“I feel like I need a bath…”

Toriel shook her head. “No wonder you don’t know about magic. If you can’t even feel it. Okay, try this: close your eyes and focus on what is around you. Try to find something that feels… different than what you are used to.”

Ryan decided it was worth a shot. After all, he’d seen it done so he knew it must be possible. He closed his eyes and tried feel some irregularity about him. At first he had no idea what he was doing, let alone what he was looking for. After a while, his mind started to drift back to the story he had been telling earlier about playing paintball and running through the woods, the chill air helping to numb the pain of the shots, the adrenaline of charging at a line of twenty people. Suddenly he felt something; it felt like he was standing next to a tesla coil; like his whole body was covered in static.

“I think… I think I feel something…” He told her.

“Good now try to reach out through that feeling and touch the flame.”

Ryan opened his eyes and took a deep breath. The electric feeling stayed with him and he tried to focus on it and the flame, willing it with thought to move, trying to visualize some sort of connection between him and it. The flame stayed steady. Ryan was wondering what he was doing wrong. For several minutes there was nothing and he was growing frustrated. He wanted to push the candle over. Suddenly he felt as if a bolt of lightning hit him. And a great gust of wind blew through the room, not only blowing out the candle but knocking over it and Toriel as well. “Well I’ll be damned…” Ryan whispered.

“Yes, well, that was impressive,” Toriel said as she stood back up and brushed herself off. “Not what I asked, but impressive. You certainly need to practice though.” She picked up the candle and relit it. “Try again.” She told him.

The next day, Ryan sat on the floor next to the brick fire place with another book in hand. This time it was a fictional piece that reminded him greatly of the Odyssey though written from the perspective of a monster that wanted nothing more than to be friends with Odysseus. In his other hand floated a small flame that he was trying to maintain without having to concentrate on it.

He had no fear of it destroying the book. Toriel had only taught him how to maintain fire that was primarily a light source. What he held in his hand was no hotter than his skin, and he found that making it hotter was not as simple as feeding more energy into it, which only made it larger and brighter. He had been on the same page for a good twenty minutes now. Every time he read more than a line, the fire would flicker and die and he would need to reach back into the fire place, grab a piece and start all over again. He still could not make fire, and neither of them could figure out why. Neither could he figure out what he did to make that gust of wind on his first attempt using magic. But he was having enough trouble just doing this, so he did not dwell on those failures.

Toriel had told him there was a way to tie off spells so that they remained on their own, but she told him she would not show him how until he did not need it to keep spells going. There had been a lengthy lecture about the dangers of self-sustained spells.

At that moment, Toriel was off in the ruins running more errands. He had asked to go with her, but she was adamant he stay put and practice. He hoped she would let him out of there one day. As his mind drifted back to that conversation, the fire winked out again and he started over with a groan.

There was one upside to her leaving that he was thankful for: he was finally able to bathe. Monsters apparently had no need for that, but after more than half a week, even she was beginning to notice the smell coming off of him. She had showed him to a small stream not far back into the catacombs, and thankfully nowhere near the impossible circle, that he could use to clean himself off. The water was not warm, but he did not care. He was happy not have his hair feeling like it was glued to his skull anymore. Now if only he could get some new clothes.

He realized he had lost the flame again, but before he could grab another, he heard Toriel return. She was carrying a rather large crate that she dropped by the staircase before turning to him. “Hello.” She said merrily. “How goes practice?”

“Slow.” He told her. “Do you want some help?” He could see that outside by the door were more crates on a wooden cart.

“It is all right, child, there is no need to overwork yourself.” She was still worried about his arm. It was not even in the sling anymore. He could move it just fine too, though he had not tired lifting anything with it yet. Still, the speed it was recovering shocked him. He listened to her, though, and stood aside until all of the crates were on the floor in the house.

“What is all of this?” He asked her as she straightened from putting down the last box on top of another.

“Surprise!” She said. “It’s all for you!”

“What?”

She started taking the lid off of one of the boxes. “I realized that the room I gave you may be a bit… juvenile, and I do have another room to spare, so I thought that you should have that instead. Along with some things a bit more suited to you, I hope.”

Ryan looked into the box. It was filled with clothes. Pants, shirts, socks. He pulled out one of the shirts. I was patterned with blue and purple stripes. They were all stripped, he realized. Another box had crafting supplies like wood and nails, another was filled with what looked like straw, for the bed, she told him, and there was much more besides. “Thank you.” He told her once they had finished going through it all. “Really.”

They spent the rest of the day putting together all of the stuff in the room that was at the far end of the hall. The empty space was the same size as the other bed room, but the walls were painted blue. By dinner, they had everything finished. There was a much larger bed, a dresser filled with new clothes that actually fit, he even had a desk.

As he lay on the bed in his new room that night, he smiled. Trapped or not, this was turning into the best thing to ever happen to him. His dreams were much more troubled.

 

Not wanting to interrupt the monster during her cooking, Ryan decided to take a quick trip to the ruins. He had been hard pressed trying to convince Toriel to let him go there at all in the beginning, let alone by himself. But after seeing it the first time, he knew had to go there again.

 

“… So we’re walking through the woods for, like, two hours.” Ryan was telling Toriel about another one of his paintball excursions. She seemed to find them all humorous. “Fifty plus pounds of gear between the two of us, not even a ref in sight and this is before we had radios. We were lost, we were bored, and we were exhausted.

“Over that entire time we found maybe two or three people that were just hiding in a bush out there in the middle of nowhere. Finally we decide to go back. Not ten seconds later, a whole wave of guys shows up out of nowhere and pin us. I have no idea how many we got out, if any, but we realized that was not a good place to be and we booked it.

“Somewhere in the middle of that, we manage to lose each other. I hunker down in a bush myself and wait for everything to pass over me. Then, it dawns on me that I’m now even more lost.

“Now, the whole field is one big circle, sort of. Any direction you go, you’ll eventually make it to the edge of the field of play and then it’s pretty easy to get back to your camp. Problem is that in at least half those directions, you got a war going on. Sure you could put up your hands and avoid it all, but that’s not how I play. Still, I’m tired, I’m hungry, and most importantly, I’m thirsty. So I start crawling through bushes and just hope I don’t run into anyone.

“I did. This, it turned out, was both a good and bad thing. As I’m crawling on my stomach and trying to get my vest unstuck from a branch, I see this whole group of guys walk past, not a care in the world. And I think to myself, ‘they aren’t wearing my colors.’ Thoughts and ideas start mulling through my head and I’m like, ‘am I gonna do this? I’m gonna do this.’

“I get up and, ever so casually, just fall into step behind them. They don’t notice at all. We walk for a bit, until I’m sure no one else is around, and I stop. I let them walk well out of ‘surrender or die’ range, I’m not that much of a jerk, but I knew that if I tried it, no one would listen. So I let them walk away, but not far enough that I wouldn’t get a guaranteed hit. I raise my gun and shout, ‘hey, over here’ and let loose.

“They start panicking and shooting everywhere. I’m laughing hysterically. Shots are flying every which way. And, of course, some dude hears the commotion, runs up behind me, and shoots me square in the back from, like, five feet. That shot hurt worse than any shot I had gotten before or since, and at that moment I did not care at all.

“Eventually, it all settles down. And they realize there’s a dude in the middle of them wearing a different colored armband than everyone else. And there like, ‘how the hell did you get here?’ and I’m like, ‘I’m a secret agent!’

“‘You’re, like, three feet from German insertion!’ I lose it. It’s just too good. Finally, I get back to our camp; my friend’s there already and asks, ‘where have you been?’

He slapped his hand down on the table. “‘Well, let me tell you.’”

“You certainly have quite a few outrageous stories about this paintball.” Toriel told him.

Ryan shrugged. “We’re just not afraid of getting shot and going along with every crazy idea that pops into our heads. We’ve done _everything_. It’s why the place hates us. But we have a tank, so we’re their best friends.”

“I wish I could see this for myself. It certainly sounds like you have a lot of fun.”

“If I ever have the opportunity, I’ll be sure to bring you along.” He paused, seeing another opportunity. “Speaking of which, I was wondering if maybe I could go to the ruins with you sometime.”

Not for the first time, Toriel looked like she wanted to avoid the topic. “I do not know, child. A human around other monsters may not be a very good idea. They are not very well liked in the Underground, as you can imagine.”

Remembering the monsters’ reaction to him on his first day here, he asked, “Are you sure they’d even recognize a human? It has been a long time. And there aren’t exactly pictures of them floating around. Plus, I have you to vouch for me.” He hoped she did not read too much meaning into that last comment.

For a moment she seemed to consider it. And then she nodded. “I suppose it will not hurt. But we will go tomorrow. Tonight I want you to practice more.”

The Next morning, Ryan was investigating how he looked in some of his new clothes in the mirror at the end of the hall as he waited for Toriel to be ready to go. They fit surprisingly well, which was a rarity of his thin frame, and they definitely suited him. At least, he thought so. As it was now, Ryan felt like he barely had want for anything. A haircut, maybe, but aside from that, he felt like he had the whole world. He could not remember a time he felt this happy.

Toriel came out of her room looking much the same as she always did; same robes and all. He was beginning to think they were all she owned. “Are you ready?” She asked looking him up and down.

“I guess so.” He told her.

The site of the city caught his breath just as well as it did the first time he saw it. The two descended the stairs side by side and entered a throng of monsters, some of which he recognized, some he had never seen before or even read about. “That over there is a Migosp.” Toriel was saying as she pointed out monsters to him. They seemed to take no notice of their scrutiny; Ryan had half expected them to run off at the sight of her. “And of course you have already seen Froggits.” She went on.

For a while they walked through streets and alleys much like that, a few monsters would wave, many would simply pass them by, going about their business. The pair of them were easily twice as tall as every monster they passed, but strangely enough it drew no eyes to them. They passed through gardens and courtyards filled with colorful blossoms while Toriel explained the thought and effort that went into their construction. She truly was very knowledgeable. Children ran and flew through the open spaces playing one game or another. Some even zipped through and hid behind the two of them. The whole thing made Ryan laugh.

They walked until they reached what Ryan would have called a market even if someone told him otherwise. The wide street was filled with wooden booths stocked with everything he could imagine short of computers. They were all manned by an assortment of monsters, mostly Loox, he noticed. They passed several down the crowed street, all hawking their wares, until finally stooping at one which seemed to sell herbs. Bundles of green and brown plants hung from all over the stall. The stand was built in front of the entrance to one of the stone buildings, two stories tall and more window than wall with shutters flung open. There was no monster attending it either.

“Hello!” Toriel shouted playfully, putting a hand next to her mouth. “Anyone home?”

“Coming!” A voice came back from the building. After a moment, a figure appeared in the doorway and came down to meet them. It was a Loox, looking the same as all the others he had seen so far. “What can I help you with today…?” Its question faded to a whisper as its eye drifted to Ryan where it stayed just a moment longer than it should have. Could this be one of the ones he had met in the catacombs? It was possible, he supposed. He acted as natural as he could and so did the monster.

Toriel seemed not to notice their odd behavior. “The usual, please.” She said in answer to the other monster’s question, smiling as warmly as ever. “And some tea, I think. I have wanted some for a few days now.”

“Coming right up.” The monster responded, glancing once more to Ryan before bending down to grab something under the counter. It came back up with a basket full of bundles of several different things and added another bundle that had been hanging above its head before sliding it to Toriel. “Anything else?”

“That will be all thank you.” Toriel told it.

“So who’s your friend?” The monster asked.

Toriel looked startled a moment. “Oh, I am sorry. This is Ryan.” She gestured to him and he waved. “He is new here. I am showing him around the ruins and teaching him what areas to avoid.”

The monster studied him openly now. “That’s good.” It said after a moment. “We wouldn’t want him _falling down_ or anything like that and getting himself hurt.” That had sealed it; this was definitely the one from the catacombs. He continued to play it cool.

“Yes indeed.” Toriel went on. “Now, I still have some other things to take care of today. Until next time.” She began to walk away.

Before he could follow, the Loox pulled him closer. “If and when you lose your bodyguard,” It whispered to him. “Come find me. We’ll talk then.” It let him go. Toriel had not turned around and he jogged to catch up to her, wondering what the Loox wanted to talk to him about.

They made a few more stops and talked to a few more monsters, none of which he recognized, and none seemed to recognize what he was either, before Toriel told him it was time to head back. On the way they stopped and ate lunch in one of the courtyards. While they ate, a group of Whimsuns flew above their heads. They all seemed to be whistling; their sounds coalescing into a musical melody that made Ryan think of watching the night sky.

One of the Whimsun, much smaller than ones he had seen before it, - a child, he supposed - flew down to land on the ground in front of them. Slowly, Toriel reached out to the tiny monster. As she did, a golden flower appeared in her hand and she held the blossom out to it. The monster took it and smiled before flying back up to its brethren.

Before long, the two of them were once again ascending the stairs out of the ruins. “I suppose you were right.” Toriel told him as the city disappeared around the corner. “It seems that, just as humans have forgotten about monsters, monsters have also forgotten about humans.” She seemed about as happy at the news as she had about the first part. “I suppose it is for the best.” She finished as they walked the rest of the way back to the house.

The monster was not very talkative for the rest of the evening until they sat for dinner where it was as if nothing was different.

***

 

Ryan struggled with the image of a flame in his mind. _Believe that it is real. Form the image using the energy you gather._ Toriel’s voice floated through the void of concentration on his open palm. Sweat beaded down his forehead in his effort to hold on to the formless magic. A task far more difficult, it turns out, than maintaining woven spells.

Finally, he gave up and lowered his hand with a sigh. He had not been any more successful in creating fire in the last four days than he had been before that, much to his dismay. He had been unable to create anything, so far. Manipulating fire was becoming much easier for him as well as maintaining it without much conscious thought - Toriel had made him keep a steady flame over dinner for a full hour a few nights past while recounting childhood memories, if she thought he paused to long, he made him start over - but creating it was another matter entirely. Frustrated by his failures and lack of answers to explain them, he went to try something else he had had little luck with the past few days.

Toriel was in her usual spot by the fireplace, reading a book he knew for a fact she had read at least a dozen times before. She had read all of the books in her possession multiple times through. He questioned how she had the patience. “Good afternoon.” She greeted him. “Any luck?” He shook his head. She had been trying just as hard as him to figure out what he was doing wrong, but to no luck as well. But he was not there to get her help this time.

“Maybe some of the other monsters could help me.” He tried. It was not the first subtle suggestion he had used to try to convince her to let him venture into the ruins on his own with, since asking right out was met with an immovable ‘no.’ He still wished to find out what that Loox wanted to talk about and, to be honest, he was growing slightly stir crazy with nothing but a phone and a journal to keep him busy. He had already read all of the books that were not about cooking or snails.

But she closed her book and fixed him with the same stare she had every other time he had asked. “Absolutely not.” She told him. “Especially not to learn magic.” In truth, it was not the first time he had tried that excuse. And she had told him then that it was too dangerous. The shirts she had given him hid the light in his chest normally, but it grew brighter whenever he used magic. She had told him that the other monsters might not remember what humans looked like, but that they would remember that.

The other reason had been that she was, apparently, keeping him on a very well-constructed lesson plan for learning magic and she did not want him going off and learning something out of order that may be dangerous. “Besides,” she went on, “You are still not in any shape to be off on your own.”

His arm had been out of the sling for almost a week now and had felt perfectly fine for days. He could not imagine how he could have over shot his guess of how long it would take to heal by weeks, but he wished he had kept his guess to himself. The monster stuck to that estimate like it was the word of God and would not accept any evidence to the contrary. And he had tried, going as far as purposefully tripping himself and catching himself with just his right arm. But all that did was convince her it would take even longer to heal now.

He had never argued with her before, but he was frustrated enough to make the attempt this time. “I told you, Toriel, my arm is fine.”

“You may think that, but how can you be certain? I will not have you risking yourself in any way!” This woman had a will as strong as the mountain they were under.

“So you want certainty? Alright.” Perhaps a more purposeful example was in order. He took a step back from the seated monster and the table, squatted, and then sprung backwards to land on his hands where he balanced somewhat precariously; it had been quite a few years since he had done that. Toriel had gotten out of her seat and looked ready to catch him at a moment’s notice, but she stayed back for the moment. Once he was sure he had is balance, he began to walk on his hands to the end of the room where he flipped himself back to his feet. He even bowed. “Better than the day I was born with it.” He assured her.

She sat back down looking no less worried than she had when she had gotten up. She said nothing. He was almost certain he had gone too far before she finally said. “All right. I suppose you may go to the ruins on your own.” Ryan almost shouted his joy. “But I want you going no further than the market. And no magic!” He was out the front door before she was even finished.

The ruins were no less abuzz than they had been the last time he was there, and the energy only served to heighten his good mood. He made his way to the market with ease, drawing more eyes now that he was alone, he noticed. He spotted the herb stand with the Loox from afar and made his was over to it.

The monster cut off its hawking mid word as he approached. It did not look happy to see him, though he figured it was because of how long it had taken to come alone. “What took you so long?” The monster asked him. Ryan shrugged. “Where’s Toriel?”

“Home.” He told it. The monster stared at him for a moment before turning towards the building behind it and gesturing him to follow.

Once they were inside, the Loox rounded on him. “Are you out of your mind?” It shouted. “What are you thinking coming here by yourself?”

Ryan’s smile vanished in a wave of confusion. “You told me come without her!”

“I meant while she was busy running her errands, or something. Not to actually come here on your own. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for someone like you to come here? First off, you stick out like a sore thumb with how tall you are, and second, though there may not be many around that remember what a human looks like, there are still some monsters that are that old and if _anyone_ finds out what you are you are as good as dead.”

This was far from he had expected to come from this. “Did you want me to come here just to lecture me?”

“Yes! In fact, I intended to warn you against just this and a laundry list of other stupid and dangerous things besides that the queen probably hadn’t even thought of!” The monster paused to pace back and forth across the room, grumbling to itself. “It was decreed, by the king, that all humans found in the Underground are to be killed and brought to him shortly before the ruins were sealed off. Has she told you none of this?”

“No, she neglected to mention it.” He said flatly.

“Well, now you know. Not only do you need to keep your head low, you need to keep it _buried_ if you want to keep air in your lungs, or whatever it is humans use to breathe.”

“Why should I?” He demanded of the monster. “I have yet to be figured out so far, and Toriel practically paraded me through the city the last time I was here.”

“You were fine _because_ she was here.” The Loox countered. “Anyone who recognized you wouldn’t do anything with her around. _She_ kept you safe.”

“And so, what? I’m supposed to just stay away or on her leash?”

“Yes!”

“Well forget that!” He took a step towards the monster. Their difference in height coupled with the look of anger on his face made the monster back up in response. “I’ve learned a thing or two about monsters since I got here, like the fact that none of you are particularly keen on violence. So I’ll gladly call that bluff. I mean none of you any harm, regardless of what my kind has done to you in the past, and I am sure I can prove that if given enough time. Also, apparently I’m stuck down here just as much as the rest of you. And if you think I’m gonna live the rest of my life cooped up in that house, you got another thing coming. We’re all trapped together, so it looks like you’ll just have to get used to me.”

“Loox? What’s with all of the yelling?” A buzzy voice said from a staircase behind the monster. The Whimsun he had also seen in the catacombs floated down from the second floor rubbing its eyes. When it saw Ryan, it dove behind its friend with a shriek.

“It’s okay, Whimsun.” The Loox told its friend. “Our guest was just leaving.” It turned its attention back to him. “You still owe me for helping you out before, so do me a favor and never come back. I want nothing to do with the trouble you bring. And if you get yourself killed, don’t come crying to me.” The monster led its friend back upstairs, leaving Ryan to show himself out.

He walked back out onto the street with his fists clenched. The anger on his face made the crowd part before him as he went back towards the city’s edge. He did not get very far before he realized what he was doing and turned towards one of the courtyards instead. Sitting down on a stone bench, he tried to calm himself down. The last thing he needed was to go home with any sort of evidence that coming here on his own was a bad idea. He leaned back with his head over the lip of the bench and closed his eyes. “I’m not going anywhere.” He told himself.

“And where would you be going, exactly?” A familiar voice said in front of him. For a second he thought that the Loox had followed him here just to yell at him again. But as he sat back up, he saw that the monster in front of him did not have a look of anger but of a mischief that he had seen before. “Fancy seeing you here. How’d meeting up with the queen go?” It could only have been the other Loox he had seen in that day, strangely enough.

His anger forgotten, he said, “Considering I’ve been living with her for almost two weeks, I’d say it went pretty well.”

“Oh, fancy.” They smirked at each other and the monster joined him on the bench. “So how has my partner in crime been?” It asked him.

He looked at it with an eyebrow raised. “Now, you neglected to mention that looking for that stuff was stealing.”

The monster shrugged. “I meant the trespassing part, but whatever helps you sleep at night. So I take it you’ve been good, then?”

He nodded. “Pretty good, yeah. You?”

“Eh, up and down. You know. What brings you to this fine city on this day?”

“Just getting out, really. I’ve been in that house eight days out of ten.”

The Loox chuckled. “Is she really that bad? I always thought it had just been with the king.”

Ryan leaned his head back again, tracing with his eye the line up the columns above his head to the center of the dome high in the sky. “She means well.” He said much more seriously.

“Well, I sure wouldn’t be complaining in your situation. Hey, you doing anything right now?”

He looked back down at the monster. “Does it look like I’m doing anything?”

“Good, because there’s something I could use your height for. What do you say?”

“Depends, does it involve more ‘trespassing?’”

The monster threw up its arms. “Nothing of the sort!” It assured him. “So are you in?”

He looked out to the stairs back to the house, visible from practically everywhere in the city, and said, “I don’t know. I should probably get back…”

“Oh come on!” The monster shook his arm. “Where’s your sense of adventure? I’ll even give you half of whatever we find. Okay, maybe a little less than half. Are you really just gonna stay cooped up in that house all the time?”

The other Loox’s words echo in his head again. He was determined to prove the monster wrong. “Alright, I’m in.” He told his new friend.

That night, he had returned home with an even bigger smile than he left with and Toriel took notice. “You were gone for quite a while. I trust everything went well?”

“It went great.” He told her. There was no need for her to know about the fact that he and the Loox, he refused to call the monster Eyewalker, had gone well outside the range she had deemed “safe.” He was an adult, and as such he could go where he pleased.

“And what did you do all afternoon?”

“Sit around, mostly.”

“Well, I’m glad you had fun. Dinner will be ready soon.” The worry had not completely gone from her expression, but he saw some measure of happiness behind it.

Later he lay in his bed spinning the gold coin he had found between his fingers. On one side was the imprint of a mountain and on the other was the symmetric city of _Home_. He had truly forgotten the last time he had had that much fun. Probably the last time he went paintballing. He was happier than he had been in years. But, beneath the happiness, a feeling of guilt crept up on him as it had many times before. And it was becoming harder to ignore.

 

As Ryan reached the bottom of the steps to the ruins he was met with smiles and waves. Not really sure where he was going, he just started to wander. Eventually, a familiar head poked up from out of the crowd. It was Loox, of course. As time had gone on, the monster and he had grown very close.

 

It turned out, as Ryan had come to know, that as crowded as the ruins seemed to be more than half of it was completely uninhabited. And it is those parts of the city that earned it its nickname.

He and the Loox had been trying to get as close to the edge of the dome that housed the city for the last few days. “Who knows what kind of treasure could be waiting for us out there?” It had said excitedly. “Most of what’s all the way out there has been abandoned for almost eight hundred years; back in the time when all monsters used to live here. Monsters much stronger in magic than you or I, I might add. Can you imagine what they might have made that they had to leave behind?” The monster then began to excitedly list numerous things Ryan had never heard of; though he thought they must be magical devises of one sort or another.

Their progress had been unexpectedly halted each day, however, as they came upon huge fissures in the stone or whole collapsed buildings blocking a street. This led them to give up with the resolution to try a different path tomorrow.

They had made it farther today than any previous day, much farther. As they walked down the length of a long street, going back and forth with stories about who had managed to get out of the worst trouble, Ryan looked up at his surroundings. This far away from the city center, the stone buildings became much taller. A few were tall enough to connect with the dome still some two hundred feet above their heads at this point.

“Let’s try this one.” The Loox said, breaking his attention back to what was in front of him. The monster was pointing at one of the shorter buildings a little ways down an alley to their left. Their overall plan was to make it all the way to the edge and then work their way back doing a building-by-building search for anything worth taking. But, as they came to learn that reaching the edge was not a guarantee - and not wanting to go home empty handed - they would occasionally stop and look through random buildings.

The pair walked over to the doorway at the front of the building and Ryan picked up a rock off the ground and scratched an ‘X’ next to the opening. They did not need to be wasting time exploring buildings twice.

They walked inside and half dozen torches burst to life to thoroughly light the empty room. A good sign, they had learned. The magic that made those torches able to light whenever someone came near was a very old spell, one not many in the ruins knew how to replicate. And they had learned that most of time places that had those had something else hiding in them.

The first floor was a single room about forty feet by forty feet, much the same as in every other building; monsters always needed a place to gather and share stories or make new ones, or so he had been told. The room looked completely empty form where they were standing. In the center, a pile of rubble from a collapsed ceiling was the only thing of note. The searched through it quickly only to find nothing and they went up the stairs to try to see if their luck would be any better.

“Watch out.” The Loox told him before they made it to the top of the stairs. The small monster stopped and raised and arm to hold him back as well. Looking over his friend’s head, he saw what looked like a giant pile of mold covering a few of the steps ahead of them. Gross, to be sure, but no reason to stop that he could see.

“So?” He asked the monster. “Just walk over it.”

The Loox shook its head. “It’s most likely a Moldsmal. They usually don’t do much unless you get too close to them. And if you do and if it turns out to really be a Moldybig, that’s bad news for us.”

“Do you just want to try another building?” He did not really want to give up on a likely find for and ‘if,’ and seemed neither did the monster.

“Let’s try something first.” It said and pushed passed him back to the first floor. It looked up at the hole in the ceiling and then back to the pile on the ground. Ryan thought he could see what the monster was thinking. The pile of rubble was at least four feet high, making the gap between its top and the floor above easily jumpable for him at six feet tall.

With a glance they both knew they shared the same idea and climbed to the top of the rock. Crouching, Ryan jumped and grabbed the lip of the hole to the floor above them. Some of the stone crumbled away under his grip and he almost lost hold, but he quickly grabbed on to the ledge with his other hand and caught himself before he could fall.

He pulled himself up and then reached down to grab the monsters hand as it jumped to him. Both up now, they realized that this floor did not have any of the torches below. Ryan reached into his pocket and pulled out his lighter, it had gotten him and them out of a few jams in the past, and were about to begin exploring when a look at the floor stopped them dead. It was covered in Moldsmals, some of the almost foot and a half long piles moved as the light shined on them. “I don’t think this is worth it.” They both said at the same time and they hopped back down and left the building to the strange monsters.

Back out on the street, they were both getting hungry and decided it was time to head back. The Loox was silent most of the way. It stopped once to kick a stone and angrily shout. “If only one of us had wings!”

 

“I thought you said you were going to take it easy today.” Loox commented as they finally reached each other in the crowded street. Ryan was almost as surprised to see the monster as it was to see him. They had both been under a pretty close watch the past few days.

He shrugged. “I needed a walk.” He told the monster. “Clear my head.” Together, they went to one of the courtyards they liked to frequent when not off exploring. More monsters waved to him as they passed, a few asked him casual questions in passing. He was well liked with the general populous of the ruins and that opinion had been hard earned.

 

“Cheers!” The group of monsters shouted as they clinked their glasses together. There was quite the assortment of monsters in the tavern that evening, some that he still could not put a name to. But that hardly mattered; the room was so jam-packed that he could not talk to any one of them for more than a few minutes.

Ryan and Toriel both had been surprised when the monsters had sent him a written invitation to a party to welcome him to the ruins, even if had already been there more than two weeks. He had spent the better part of the last two days helping out various monsters around the city. He had been unable to spend his time exploring with the Loox. “Family obligations.” It had told him. He did not pry. Instead, what he had intended to be a couple of days of relaxing and reading had turned into doing odd jobs all over the ruins. From helping with stands at the market, to unpacking and moving goods, to helping the Froggits with their mail system, he had built up quite the resume.

Looking around from his seat at the bar, many of the monsters were laughing and shouting and knocking back drinks. He had asked Toriel to come with him, but she had refused, however hard he insisted. She had looked at him with a somber smile and told him, “I am not as blind to how the other monsters act around me as they think. You will have much more fun without me there.” As he looked around again he was inclined to agree. Some of the monsters were already stumbling between the tables and the bar. The food may be different for monsters, but alcohol seemed to work the same way. He himself did not partake, if not for the reason of him still technically being underage. Instead, he laughed with the rest when they told him stories, toasted when they toasted, and held a smile on his face that did not touch his eyes.

He was happy that the monsters had thrown him a party, though he felt undeserving. It was that feeling of guilt again, eating away at him. It had been coming more frequently now and was even harder to push away than it ever had been.

His troubles were forgotten as a familiar Loox appeared in the doorway of the tavern. It was not his friend, but the one that had told him to stay away. They locked eyes. The monster must have noticed that it was a celebration, and the banner tied to the ceiling made it obvious who it was for. Ryan gave the monster a wry smile as it stomped down the steps back to the street. At least he had proven one of his doubters wrong. And that only left himself.

 

“You seem really out of it today.” Loox told him as they sat down on one of the benches in the courtyard. “You feeling alright?”

At first, he just stared at his hands, but finally he said, “I guess I’m just feeling nostalgic today.”

The monster chuckled. “Craving ‘the good ol’ days?’” It only half-joked. “Come on, Ryan, everything could have turned out a lot worse than it had.”

He nodded. He certainly agreed with the monster: things now could be a lot worse. He looked out to the monsters that weaved around them, going about their business. A few days gone, all of those warm smiles and waves would have been completely different. And if what had happened had turned out any worse, they might still have been.

It had all started with a simple admission to his close friend.

 

“You’re a human!” The Loox exclaimed loud enough that he worried someone might overhear, even if they were almost on the opposite side of the ruins from the entrance. The part of the city they ventured to today, as they had most of the days he had come to the ruins, was largely abandoned. He and the Loox sat on the floor of what used to be a large amphitheater eating lunch with the group that they had formed over the last two weeks: two Whimsuns and a Froggit.

The frog monsters, he had come to find, were much livelier than they had been in the catacombs. He had yet to see one of them act like robots reading off a card before going into standby mode again. Although, some of them seemed close enough to it. They were not a smart race, it turned out. But still, this one had tagged along with them for a while now and they all enjoyed the company.

“Why are you telling us this now?” The Loox went on.

Why was he telling them now? He was entering his fourth week in the underground and had managed to keep up the façade of a monster quite well in that time. But he had grown to trust these few, and he was tired of lying. “You’re my friends.” He told them, looking at them all in turn. “You deserve the truth.”

They were silent, for a long moment, just staring at him. One of the Whimsun finally spoke up. “I don’t buy it.”

“What?” He looked at the small monster incredulously. It just shook its head. The two Whimsun in their group were a mischievous pair by themselves, and much less timid than most of their kind. He and Loox had found them on their third excursion like this, trying to lure them into a room to have paint dumped on their heads. Ryan had seen through the ruse, but the Loox had not. It had taken the rest of the day and much of the next to cool off. They became fast friends afterwards.

“I think you pulling our legs.” It went on, and its brother nodded in agreement. “You have any proof?”

He did have one thing, and he had already committed to this. He lifted his shirt to reveal the red, heart-shaped glow coming from his chest. It looked even brighter in the darkness of the building. His friends stared at it wide-eyed. “Wow…” One of them managed.

“So that’s what a soul looks like.” The Whimsun commented.

Loox slapped himself in the face. “Of course! It all makes sense now! Why you were so lost that day in the catacombs, and how you had never seen the ruins before.”

“What do you mean ‘in the catacombs’?” The other Whimsun questioned. It had turned out that that particular rule was much more heavily enforced than Ryan had thought. Though a monster could get a form of permission to enter - its nearness to the surface made it the only area for certain plants to grow - this Loox did not have it. The monster shrunk in on itself to avoid the question.

“So, you’re a human.” The Froggit spoke up. “What do we do now?” The question was directed at the other monsters, not Ryan.

“What do we do?” The Loox spoke up, confidence returned. “Nothing, that’s what we do, life goes on as normal. Ryan told us this in confidence because he trusts us. So we keep our mouths shut unless he says otherwise.” The monster turned to him. “Right, Ryan?”

He could not help but smile. “Thanks guys.”

 

And, for a while, everything was great.

 

“And so, the monster shouted at our young hero,” Ryan was reading from the book on his lap just before Loox cut in.

“You will not take the princess from me!” The monster was doing its best to make itself seem bigger than it was, and it spoke in the deepest voice it could manage.

Their odd little group were not out exploring the deep, dark secrets of the ruins that day, but were instead putting on a bit of a show for some of the children in one of the courtyards. Ryan read from a large book of fairytales he had borrowed from Toriel while Loox and the rest acted out the parts. They had spent much of the previous day practicing and had drawn quite the crowd. Miniature versions of monsters Ryan both knew and did not sat on the ground in front of them, leaning forward in excitement. Other monsters, parents and more besides, stood around the children watching with as much enjoyment as the younglings.

He kept reading the next part. “But our fearless hero drew his sword and, without wavering, he said to the evil monster,”

“You will not turn me away!” Whimsun picked up, drawing a stick that was meant to be a sword in time with Ryan’s words. “I will save the princess from your clutches and there is nothing your evil magic can do to stop me.

The crowd cheered as the two monsters began to act out a fierce battle between good and evil. As the shouts died out, Ryan expertly picked up the story. “The two fought a battle like none the world had seen before. On and on it went, spells flying everywhere, steel clashing against the evil monster’s black claws causing sparks to fly.” The story was one of two monsters who had fallen in love with a princess. And while one had worked hard and honestly to earn the princess’s favor, the other had turned to dark magic in order to defeat his rival and steal the princess away. Toriel had told him it was quite the crowd pleaser.

“But the power of righteousness was on our hero’s side,” he went on, “and the evil monster’s dark magic could not touch his pure soul. And so, our hero defeated his rival-” Whimsun slashed his fake sword along Loox’s middle and the larger monster fell back and started to twitch. “-and rescued the princess.” The other Whimsun in their group flew in wearing a pink dress and embraced its twin.

“My hero.” It said. And they both bowed to the crowd.

“And they lived happily ever after. The end.” Ryan concluded and crowd raised their voices in hurrah. Ryan stood and Loox got up from the ground as they clapped. Froggit hopped in from the side, its part as the wise sage and the evil mastermind having been earlier in the story, and they all bowed together.

Ryan scanned through the crowd until he found Toriel near the back, smiling and clapping along with everyone else. He was hoping she would see their little performance. He wanted to show her that she was getting along with everyone just fine and succeeding at fitting in. Hopefully, that would alleviate some of the worry he seemed to always see on her face nowadays. It would not get rid of all of it, he knew, nothing short of her tying him to her would do that and maybe not even then, but hopefully some. And it would be one less thing on his mind.

 

But those peaceful times were not meant to last.

 

“Sounds like you got a lot of neat stuff on the surface.” Loox was saying as he balanced on the narrow beam of wood they had found to cross the large stream they had come across the other day. The blue glow of the water cast a crystalline shadow throughout the crevasse of stone that shifted with the current. It was just one of many beautiful sights he had seen since had found himself trapped here. They had found the path that led to the crack in the rock below the ruins a week gone and have been exploring it eagerly ever since.

The Whimsun pair, he had grown tired of not having separate names for the two of them - though they did not understand why - and simply told him to refer to them as Whimsone and Whimstwo, were waiting for the rest of them on the other side and Froggit followed close behind. Much like Toriel, they had all practically interrogated him about what the surface was like whenever they were alone. And, as such, much of their explorations had gone like this. “I can’t believe that little rectangle in your pocket can play music.”

“It can do much more than that.” Ryan went on as they stepped off the beam on the far side of the water. So far they had not found and end to the cavern though they must have journeyed a good mile down it by now. It just kept going down, and they were determined to see what was at the bottom.

Gathering by a crack in the wall not far from the stream, the light from which did not go further than a few feet into it, Loox lit a fire in the air and passed it to Ryan to maintain. The monster apparently could only keep it lit for about half an hour before getting tired. He did not really understand why; he felt like he could keep it up forever if he did not lose focus. They began to go further together, keeping close and keeping an eye out for any sort of danger.

“I still can’t believe some of the games they play.” Whimsone continued. He was not very knowledgeable when it came to sports, but told them what he could about football, basketball, and the like; and paintball, of course. “Humans really are crazy.”

Ryan chuckled. “You think we’re crazy, huh? Well let me tell you-” a signal from Whimstwo made them all go silent. They froze and Ryan undid the spell for the light. Whimstwo had been in front, and the signal it flashed was the one they agreed for ‘someone’s coming.’

They dared not move. Who could be this far down beside them? They had not run into anyone since their exploration began, and they had not found any way to get down here aside from where they came from. Either they had come down before them, or there was something else down there.

Voices started to drift towards them. “… Think we should have questioned the word of the old geezer more than we had. I really doubt anyone would be bold enough to come down here.” Ryan recognized the voice; it was a Migosp. They served as a sort of keepers-of-the-peace in the ruins; a job that, according to Loox, allowed them to lounge around most of the day since most monsters never caused any trouble. If they were here, someone had tipped them off.

Tapping them each on the shoulder in the dark, they began to follow Froggit back the way they had come. It had the best night vision out of the group. When the light from the stream could be seen in front of them, they almost broke out in a run. But as they reached the mouth of the crack, two of the Migosps appeared in front of them, expressions grim and steel spears in hand. “Aha!” One of them exclaimed. “We found you.” The other pair came up behind them and began to grab each of them. Ryan had the courtesy of a spear pressed to his back as well since he was twice the monster’s height. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do about why you are all down here.”

They had all submitted to their capture without struggle, not wanting to make this any worse for them than it was, all but Loox who all but bit his captor. “Let me go!” He shouted. “You can’t do this! There was no sign saying we couldn’t come down here. You let go of me right now! Or else! My friend here is a human and he’ll kick your…”

They had all frozen. Loox finally realized what it had said. “Oops…”

Toriel was surprised by the knock on her door. It was not often she had visitors. It could not have been Ryan either since he would not have knocked, though he had been gone a while now. She got up from her chair as the knock came again. Taking off her glasses and putting them on top of the book she was reading, she went to see who it could be.

The monster opened the door and gasped. Fifty Migosps surrounded Ryan, all with spears pointed at him. He stood with his hands tied together with rope. Another Migosp stood in front of Toriel’s door. “Your highness.” It said, breaking her eyes from the scene before him. The short monster wore a serious look but she could see pleasure beneath it. “We have found a human hiding in the Underground.” Her eyes went back to Ryan.

“I did not do anything, I swear.” He said.


	5. Heartache

Ryan lay on his bed throwing a wooden ball he had found at the ceiling and catching it as it fell. Actually, it was the second he had found. The first turned out to be conscious and did not particularly like getting thrown into the air over and over; it preferred to be bounced. He had been stuck in that room for most of the past two weeks with little better to do. He still had no further luck with magic, which frustrated him to the point of giving up days ago, and Toriel had refused to keep teaching him. He even went and read through every book they had in the house twice, including the cookbooks this time around. He was, very much, out of things to do.

During their meals together, Toriel barely spoke to him after that first day since he had been found out. And that conversation had not gone over very well.

“I cannot believe the mountain of reckless and dangerous things you have been doing behind my back, and even had the audacity to lie to me about!” She yelled at him after spending the better part of an hour telling the other monsters that had brought him back in binds to leave and that she would handle the situation and that they were not to announce _any_ sort of execution to the city.

Ryan knew she was right, she had been told everything, and he knew that he was wrong to do all of that stuff and not tell her. And he knew he should have just said that, apologized, and took whatever punishment may come. But he was just as angry about the whole situation as her, and he did not handle arguments well. He looked her in the eyes, face as fierce as hers if not more so, and told her, “I am not a child. I may be trapped down here, but I still have the freedom to do what I want and go where I want. I wasn’t hurting anyone by doing it either.”

“You say you are not a child and yet look at all of the trouble your immaturity has caused. The whole of the ruins now knows what you are, which is problem enough on its own. And what about those other monsters you had following you into those places? They were in just as much danger as you.”

“They didn’t follow me! It was their idea.” That was the wrong thing to say.

“So you were taking _directions_ from children, then? How could you be so naïve, child? I had thought that after all this time you would have finally manage to make a peaceful place for yourself down here.”

Toriel’s disappointment simply made him angrier. “You told me to adapt, so I adapted. And for a while I was having more fun than I’ve had since I was a little kid! Would you have taken that away from me?”

“No, you took it away from yourself.”

He was caught with his mouth hanging open, unable to think of a response. He still seethed, but there was nothing he could think to do about it. Toriel went on.

“From now on, I will know exactly where you are at all times until you can prove to me that you can be trusted on your own to not pull something like this again.” No longer able to take this, he stood up from the table. “Where are you going? We are not done here, child.”

“You’re not my mother.” He told her coldly.

Toriel took the words like a slap to the face. She sat down, no longer able to say what she was about to. During her shock, he went to his room and slammed the door behind him.

And so he had remained except when they ate in silence. He threw the ball up with more force than necessary and it thudded against the stone ceiling. As he caught it in its fall, a knock came from hid door. A moment later Toriel opened the door without waiting for a response. “We are going.” She said without glancing over to him. He simply got up out of the bed without complaint or comment. Ryan’s anger had not carried over into even the second day, he could never hold on to anger long, and at this point he simply wanted things to go back to normal between them. But he could not take back what he had said. He had taken her kindness these past six weeks and, in four words, spit on it. That was not something an ‘I’m sorry’ could sweep under the rug, though he certainly had tried.

She had been true to her word about not letting him out of her sight. She had taken him with her on her errands twice since their argument and neither time went well. The looks alone were like a knife in his heart after the time he had spent in the city. The words were worse. Off-hand comments and questions about how he was still alive and why she had not killed him yet. They all seemed to think the times he had helped them and laughed with them and drank with them had not happened; that he may go crazy and kill them all at any moment. Some even threw things at him and laughed behind his back. Monsters he knew. Monsters he had cared about.

Toriel did nothing to stop any of it. “These are the consequences of your actions.” She had told him. “You must live with them just like all others must.”

“Why?” he had asked in response, tears threatening to spill down his face. “Why are they all acting like they had never seen me before? Like, because I’m human, none of the things we did together matter.”

“Even if told with the best of intents,” she had told him, “a lie is still a lie.”

He did not blame Loox; the monster’s slip had not meant for any of this to happen. The day after they had all been captured, the Loox had run up from the ruins to the house, a dozen guards on his tail, just to tell Ryan how sorry he was that this had happened. He had run past Toriel to get to the monster that was on its hands and knees, crying its eye out next to the blackened tree, and told it that everything was okay; that it was not its fault. The Migosp guards tried to seize his friend before he could calm him down. With a shout, he told them to stay away. They did, whether out of fear for what he was or because Toriel was behind him and said nothing to countermand him, he did not care.

Eventually, the monster was led back to its home, leaving Ryan and Toriel by themselves once more. “Anything short of death can be mended.” He told her before going back into the house. “I will fix this, if it takes the rest of my life.” The determination in his eyes silenced anything she was going to say in response.

And so he took the words, took the rocks thrown at his head, without comment, helping monsters pick things up, pull stuff down, push heavy things; help in any way he could without being chased off to try to undo a thousand years of hatred.

Like before, as the pair descended the stairs leading into the city, a silence met them accompanied by the cold hatred he had grown to expect.

They had barely made it into the main street before a crowd formed around them, refusing to let them go further. “What is the meaning if this?” Toriel demanded of those around them. No one answered her. Instead, they parted as the sound of marching feet approached them. A group of guards spilled into the circle that all lowered their spears at Ryan. They were followed by group of a dozen Loox; they all wore similar robes to Toriel.

“Your Highness.” The one in the middle began, making an attempt at a bow. “I am sorry to be the one to say this, but you have been sheltering the human long enough. Something must be done.”

“He is under my care.” Toriel told it in response. “And you will do nothing to harm him while that is the case.”

“With all due respect, Your Highness, the law is clear.”

“Do you not realize that this will make you no better than the humans from back then?”

“The city is in agreement.” Loox went on as if she had not spoken. “By the King’s law, the human is to be executed and their soul brought to the barrier.” The monster raised its hand and the spears were readied to take his life. But before its hand could fall, a voice pushed its way through the crowd.

“You can’t be serious!” It shouted as it popped from the line of monsters and ran over to stand between Ryan and the weapons.

It was his friends, all of them. Whimsone and Whimstwo hovered in front of his chest with arms outstretched trying to protect him, Froggit was at his back looking fiercer than he would have thought possible of the monster, and Loox, who had been the one to shout, stood between him and the council of his fellows. “Has Ryan done anything to deserve this?” It went on, addressing everyone. The crowd shifted as his friend spoke in his defense. “He has been nothing but nice and kind to all of us! Especially to me and especially to Toriel.” The monster paused to wipe its face. Its voice was close to cracking. “Have all of you truly forgotten what he has done for all of us?”

“He is a human. They enemy of all monsters.” The other Loox said in response.

“So what?!” his friend practically screamed. “The humans that trapped us here are a thousand years dead! Ryan has told me a lot about the surface. He doesn’t even know why his kind attacked us all that time ago. And still, so what? Why do we care? We’ve all lived our whole lives down here, and none of us even _think_ about the fact that we are stuck under a mountain half the time. We _don’t_ care!

“We’ve all made lives for ourselves down here. Lives we care about, lives that make us happy. And if the fact that Ryan is a human has made you all forget who it was that reminded all of us of that happiness, then shame on you! You hold him to blame for something he had no hand in; to blame for something you only half-heartedly care about!

“And so what if he lied? He lied only so save himself from this. He lied so that we could see past what he was and see who he was:” Loox turned to him, its eye was red. “The nicest person I’ve ever met and the only one who ever believed in me.”

Some in the crowd even sniffed back tears at that point. Ryan gave his friend a reassuring smile as the robed Loox walked up to him and seemed to consider him deeply.

“What say you, human? Your friend thinks quite highly of you, and I will admit there are others who think the same. Do you wish to add to your defense?”

Ryan looked down at the ground. “I want nothing but for everyone to be happy. If my death will bring you that, so be it.”

The crowd was silent. He expected the spears pointed at him to be thrust into his heart any second. Then, with a sigh, the Loox made another gesture and the spears were pulled away. “You are free to go, human. We are sorry for any trouble we may have caused you.”

He and Toriel were almost back home before she pulled him aside and wrapped him a hug that threatened to break more than his arm this time. She even kissed him on the forehead. “That was very mature of you.” She told him.

 

The past five days had seen everything returning to normal. Nobody even mentioned that he was human except as an offhanded joke that he made sure to laugh at so they would not think stuff like that offended him. Even Toriel was back to smiling, knowing that, now that the worst scenario had happened, everything had turned out all right, and knowing that there were no more secrets between the two of them.

He should have been happy too. He had everything he wanted: A home with friends he did not have to lie to. But the fact was that there was still one secret he was keeping from Toriel.

Something he thought he had been able to push aside time and time again, but it had come back as things had returned to normal and it was eating away at him like never before. There was nothing to distract him from it now, and it stayed locked at the forefront of his mind. His friend broke him out of his trance.

“So, I have good news. I think I’ve convinced my parents to talk to the council about getting us special permits to go exploring again.” The city council had put a quick stop to that when they had learned about it. “When I showed them some of the stuff we were able to find, even they were impressed. What do you say? If they manage to get us permission, you wanna start back up again?”

“I don’t know.” He told the monster. He was only half paying attention at the moment, using his learned ability to instinctively recognize and respond noncommittally to requests.

“Are you trying to tell me that everything that happened knocked all the drive out of you? We never even figured out what was at the bottom of that crack!”

“No, it’s not that, it’s…” He could not focus. He stood up, leaving his friend’s question unanswered. “I’m getting hungry.” He told the monster. “I’ll see you later.”

Loox seemed like it wanted to know what was wrong, but it did not speak up. Simply saying. “Okay. Do you want to meet up here tomorrow?”

_Tomorrow…_ “Maybe.”

 

“What is the matter, Ryan? You have been staring at nothing almost the whole evening and have barely touched your food.” Toriel asked him worriedly. Ryan snapped out of his trance and hastily picked up his fork. He had been lost in thought his entire walk back from the city and apparently more time besides. He could not even remember sitting down to eat, though by the temperature of the food it must have been a short while. “Are you feeling sick?”

“No, I’m not sick…” He stopped short, once again at war with himself. The guilt he had been suppressing, the knowledge he had been denying, and he could no longer hold it back. He had grown to love it here, he realized not for the first time; he had truly come to call this place home. He knew he could stay here and spend the rest of his life in happiness. “I can’t keep denying it…” He breathed.

“What was that?”

Ryan looked up at Toriel, his caretaker, the one who had opened up this world of happiness to him, taught him things he never thought he would learn, and had been a better mother to him than his own, and said to her, “Toriel… I can’t stay here anymore.”

A look of shock crossed her face, but she hid it behind concern. “What do you mean? Do you wish to movie into the ruins? I suppose it could be arranged, but I hope you would be willing to explain why. I will miss have you here to talk to, so I hope you will at least visit.”

He shook his head. “No, that’s not what I mean. I can’t stay here or in the ruins any longer. I have to leave.”

Toriel’s expression stayed controlled. “Child, we have been over this: the pathway to the rest of the Underground has been blocked for-”

“That isn’t true and we both know it.” Ryan interrupted.

“What do you mean? Who told you that?”

“No one told me.”

“That is silly, someone must have told you. I would have known if you had gone down there yourself.”

“That’s just it, Toriel. No one told me. I knew it from the beginning. I knew so much from the beginning and I’ve been trying to deny it this whole time and just live my life, but I can’t keep lying to myself. That’s why I have to leave.”

“That is absurd!” Toriel was on her feet now. He realized he was as well. “What are you even talking about, child? What did you know?”

Ryan dropped his gaze and sat back down. He considered for a moment, looked back at her, and said, “Toriel, I need you to trust me. There’s something I need to do, and to do it I need to leave. And I can’t tell you why; it’ll be easier that way.”

“Absolutely not!”

“Toriel, please.”

“The Underground is dangerous, do you not understand? They will not hesitate to kill you if they find out what you are. So what do you hope to accomplish? You cannot go home. The barrier is impassable. You have the love and acceptance of all of the monsters here already anyway.” The monster stopped just before her voice broke. She took a breath. “You have _me._ ” It was barely a whisper. “Just stay.”

He squeezed his eyes shut. “I can’t.”

The monster began to pace back and forth across the room, trying to hold back her anger, before setting herself back by the table. Her controlled rage almost made him shiver. “Ryan, I have opened my home to you, fed you, allowed you to make a life for you down here, mistakes and all. So I am going to give you one chance to explain to me why you are suddenly willing to throw all of that away just to go running off to your death before I destroy the exit to the ruins for good and never allow you to leave this house again.

Ryan let out a breath. There was no way around it, it seemed, and she deserved the truth. But at what cost? “Let me tell you a story.” He said finally. “And, please, correct me anywhere I’m wrong.” Toriel seemed to calm down slightly; she took her seat across from him again before he went on.

He took another breath before beginning. “You had a son.” He paused, the look of shock returned to Toriel’s face and this time it stayed. He had hoped beyond hope that she would have stopped him right there. He continued. “His name was Asriel, and one day while he was playing he found an injured human in these very ruins; the first human to fall into the Underground since it was sealed. Unsure of what else to do, Asriel brought the human to his home where you and Asgore took care of them. Since the human was trapped, you accepted them as part of your family. And the whole of the Underground buzzed about a peace between humans and monsters. Everyone was happy.”

Toriel had yet to say anything; she simply stared at him wide-eyed. He went on. “But one day the human became sick and died. In grief, your son took the human’s soul and crossed the barrier to return the human to their home. When he came back, he was badly injured. The humans had attacked him until he barely had the strength to walk.

“He died in the throne room of the castle, feet from where the barrier stands. In his rage, Asgore declared war on the humans, for taking away not just one child from him, but two in a single day. Disagreeing with his decree that all humans to fall should be killed, you ran away to the ruins, where you disappeared. I’m not wrong, am I?”

Ryan watched as Toriel’s shock slowly turned back to anger, much hotter than it had been before. “Who told you?” She said in a quivering whisper. “Who told you all of that?”

“No one.” He told her calmly. “I knew. I knew long before I had ever woken up in that cave where you found me. And that’s why I have to leave.” He stood up and ran to his room before she could say anything more. Quickly, he grabbed everything he could carry, all of what he had fallen with, money, and everything he had found exploring that would fit in his pockets. He threw on an extra shirt, and was out the door again with one last look over his shoulder.

When he made it back to the foyer, Toriel was no longer sitting at the table in the other room, but he had no time to think about that, he had wasted enough time already. He hesitated only a moment before descending the stairs below the house.

The warmth of the house turned back into the cold stone of the rest of the ruins. The narrow pathway was not well lit and went straight ahead. He walked its length with the echoes of his steps ringing in his ears until, finally, he reached a door.

The door was nearly twice his height and carved in its face was the same glyph as Toriel’s robes. The monster herself stood before the door, staring up at it as well. “This is it.” She said as he came close. Her voice shook. “The exit to the rest of the Underground.” She turned to face him tears streamed down her eyes. “I’m going to destroy it so that no one can ever leave again.”

Ryan could not bear it all much longer. “Toriel, please, let me pass.” He was about a dozen paces from her, and a step closer brought a flame to her hand.

“Go back upstairs, Ryan. I do not want you getting hurt.”

“Toriel, I can’t. There’s something I need to do.” He took another step closer.

“Stay back!” She screamed. He did not stop; he took another step.

The fire came flying towards him a second later. Ryan raised his hand to meet it and the flame dissolved out of existence. She looked at him in genuine surprise. She had not taught him how to do that, and it was by luck that he figured out how to do it himself. She had told him it was impossible to undo another’s spell while they were in direct control of it, but anything was possible with magic. He took another step forward.

Another flame flew towards him, much to the same effect. He did not stop. He stared straight ahead. He would not stop, no matter how much he wanted to. Toriel changed her tactic. Fire shot up from the ground, surrounding both of them. “Do you not understand?” She yelled in frantic attempt to change his mind. “It is the same for every human that has fallen down here. They come. They leave. They die. This is for your own good!”

The fire closed in around him. Before the flame could touch him, he stole control of the spell from her and the fire shot out, dissipating into nothing in the corners of the room. “I am only trying to protect you. Out there they, Asgore, _will_ kill you.

When he was just a few steps in front of her, the monster’s fire finally stopped. “Why?” She cried. She looked ready to fall to her knees. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because your son is still alive.” He told her. Shock returned to her face. “Asriel is alive, Toriel. And right now he is in a lot of pain.” He took another step towards her. “That day in the city, when I was almost killed, I said that I wanted nothing but for everyone to be happy. And right now, Asriel isn’t. I can’t be happy knowing that; knowing that there might be something I can do to help him. That’s why I have to leave. I’m going to save him, Toriel. I’m going to bring your son back to you.”

Toriel’s eyes were on the ground now; her hands clenched in fists at her sides. “How dare you?” She said through gritted teeth. “My son is dead, and I have put that pain behind me. How dare you suggest that he can be brought back?”

Ryan’s determination melted away at her reaction. He reached out to her. “Toriel, I-”

“Get out!” She did not move, but her shout made him step back.

“Tor-”

“Go!” She shouted again. “And don’t come back.”

Ryan dropped his hand. He hesitated, looking up at the stone doors. Before the monster could stop him, he wrapped his arms around her. “Thank you, Toriel, for everything.”

After a moment, she embraced him as well. “Stay safe, my child.” She whispered in his ear.

“I will.” He let her go and walked up to the doors. With barely a touch, they began to swing open. He took one last look back to say goodbye, but Toriel was already gone. “I will save him.” Determination restored, he stepped into the darkness beyond.

Blindly, he walked through the dark corridor towards the edge of the Underground. Before he reached any sort of opening, he found himself in a room much the same to the one he had first woken up in. Moonlight streamed in from the ceiling shinning on a single golden flower.

“Well, well, well.” The flower said as he approached. There was no false pretense in its voice this time. “Look who finally decided to show up.” Flowey looked up at him with mixture of hatred and amusement and he stared back at it with one much the same. He was not afraid of it this time. “I was beginning to think you’d actually try to spend your whole life there.” It went on. “And we wouldn’t want that now would we?”

“I have no time for your lies, flower.”

“Lies?” The flower chuckled. “I tell nothing but the truth. Down here it’s kill or be killed. Do you think they truly would have accepted you now that they know what you are? Sure, they may have all been smiles now, but their fear would have crept up on them. Slowly, it would build until the day you found a knife in your back. Part of you knew that, didn’t you? Otherwise, why would you be here?

“I am here because I made a promise to someone.”

“Oh? On a quest, are we? Just like in the fairytales? And I bet you think you’ll be able to do it by befriending everyone.” The flower laughed that time. The sound grated on Ryan’s sanity. “You think just because you may have made a few buddies in there that you’ll be able to do the same all over again? No, the rest of the Underground is nothing like that place. You’ll see, one day you’ll come face to face with a monster you can’t win over with kind words or friendly gestures. They will try to kill you mercilessly. And I wonder what you’ll do when that day comes. Will you kill them in an attempt to protect yourself? Will you just roll over and die? I can’t wait to see. It’s going to be so much fun.”

Ryan walked past the flower, ignoring its words. He would not become a victim to that fate. “It’s inevitable. You know that, don’t you? You’re as good as dead. And then this world will be mine again.”

“You have no power over this world.” He turned back to the flower. “And you will never have power over me.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Who do you think tipped off those guards about where you would be that day? Who do you think planted those ideas in your friend’s head that his invincible friend, the human, would protect him from anything?” The flower laughed again. “Deny it all you like, but _I_ am the prince of this world’s future.”

Ryan took a step closer to the flower and its smile only grew, threatening to split the flower in half. “You cannot destroy this world and you cannot stop me, no matter what you try, no matter what strings you pull.” He realized he almost had a hand around the flower now. He pulled himself back.

“Don’t worry, my little monarch, my plan isn’t regicide. _This_ is so much more interesting.” With one more maniacal laugh, the flower disappeared back into the ground. 

Ryan forced himself to ignore the creature’s words, holding on to his determination. And without wasting another moment, he turned away from the ruins and towards the cold world beyond.


	6. sans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll say the same thing here as I did on FFnet even though I don't want to, sans's stuff is bold, was supposed to be comic sans, sites don't let me do that.

Cold it truly was. As Ryan came upon a second pair of doors, a draft of chill air cut right through his clothes and made him shiver. And when he reached out to open them, the chill sank straight into his bones. For an instant, his vision went white and a bell seemed to ring in his head. All sensation was drowned out in the noise. He could not think; he could not breathe.

When he came to, he was on his hands and knees in the middle of a snow-covered forest. There was just enough light that he could see a few feet in front of him to just beyond the edge of the first few trees surrounding the small clearing. He stood up, brushing the snow off of his already aching hands, and tried to get his bearings. There really was a forest underground, he realized. Though, at that point he wondered why he had ever doubted it.

The tall trees were, for the most part, bare trunks that shot high above his head before shooting out into the shapes of evergreens with their braches weighed down by the thick snow. The snow was almost a foot high in places, except where he stood where it was only a couple of inches at most. It looked as if someone had come through and cleared a path just before the last storm, if such a thing even happened. The path stretched out ahead of him to be lost from sight as it curved through the dense trees. Where he could see between them, there was little more than shadows. The dim light gave the impression of twilight, though if he knew anything, he was certain that night was about as likely come as day here. He had learned that in the ruins the monsters had set up a spell to increase light from the center of the dome in order to improve overall visibility. It was bright enough to make a difference, but subtle enough not to blind anyone that happened to look up.

He looked up past the trees and tried to imagine the hollow dome above his head, half again as big as the one that housed the ruins. A sound from behind him made him jump and turn around. There was nothing there. There was, however, something not far back into the trees. Stepping through a few to get to another clearing, he came up to a set of double doors with a familiar glyph carved into their face. The doors themselves looked like they had been carved out of the rock around them. He tried to push them open. But nothing happened.

They sat in the side of a cliff, not the edge of the dome like he had thought it would. The wall of rock ended abruptly about twenty feet above his head. He wondered what might be up there, but there was not a hand or foothold in sight. A gust of wind blew through the clearing, stinging his face and turning him back in the direction he had come. All around him, the trees made a thick and foreboding wall preventing his progress in any direction other than the path away from the clearing he had woken up in. Seeing his only other option as getting lost and starving to death, he reluctantly began to follow the path.

He was not sure how long he had been walking when he realized the forest had gone completely silent. In the beginning, a soft breeze had whistled through the trees that now seemed to truly tower over him. But the air was still now. The crunch of his steps was absorbed by the snow and trees. Yet his breathing somehow seemed amplified in the silence. He forced himself to breathe through his nose though it was already starting to run. He shoved his hands in his pockets; he was not good with the cold, and the extra shirt he had put on was not helping as much as he had hoped.

His eyes began to dart between the shadows of the trees before he could stop himself, looking for things that were not there. He could not shake the feel he was being watched. Suppressing the urge to shiver, he thought about making a fire to keep himself warm. But, before he could fish his lighter out of his pocket, he thought he heard a branch snap behind him and he spun around to stare back the way he came. The path curved back into the trees not far away from where he stood. Anything could be hiding there, but in the dim light, he could not make anything out. He shook his head in a vain attempt to rid himself of his paranoia. Walking faster, he whispered to himself, “Better I just avoid everything.” He thought he heard footsteps behind him.

Again, there was nothing. No prints besides his own and nothing in the trees that he could see. His pulse quickened as he walked on. The forest seemed to grow thicker as he went, closing around him. The path became narrower and he could see nothing beyond a dozen feet in front of him as it twisted and turned through the trees. Until, suddenly, the forest broke in wake of a wide fissure in the ground.

The crack in the stone was a good ten feet wide at its narrowest point and ran off in both directions as far as Ryan could see; which, still, was not very far. Roots from trees stuck out from its edge in various places near the top and he could not see the bottom. The hole split the path in two. However spanning it was a narrow wooden bridge that looked very hastily put together. Nails hung half in and bent at odd angles in the planks, the logs that served as its support were cracked and split; it looked bad enough that he was beginning to think trying to jump it may be the better option. Or at least trying to find another way.

Before the rickety bridge, spanning the width of the trail and connected by two trees, was an array of logs placed together to form a sort of wall. Though calling it a wall was more than a stretch. The logs were wide enough apart that two of him could walk through the gap shoulder to shoulder. Perhaps it simply was not done.

In his consideration, the feeling of being watched crashed back down on him suddenly. Before he could push it away, he heard another noise. This time he was sure it was footsteps crunching through the snow almost directly behind him.

As he readied to turn and face this unknown threat a voice practically whispered in his ear, making him freeze. “Human.” The voice said. “Don’t you know how to greet a new pal?” How they could have snuck up on him like that, he had no clue. The voice was flat, and it seemed to resonate in his skull. It certainly did not sound like someone who wanted to be his friend. “Turn around and shake my hand.” It told him.

He could not run. Not only did he not trust the bridge, he would most likely be dead before he took the first step. Whatever was behind him had to be close enough to reach out a touch him. And beyond being able to sneak up on him silently, he had no idea what it was capable of. He could try to fight, but that seemed equally as futile. Slowly, he turned to face the voice. A shape stood in the shadow of one of the logs that made up the wall. It was small, hardly half his height. Beyond that, he could make nothing out. The figure extended a mitten covered hand out of the shadow; a blue sleeve covered its arm.

A million and one reasons why this was a bad idea flashed through his mind and he extended his own hand and they shook. The sound of a wet fart crashing through the silence of the forest made him jump back. The figure casually stepped out of the shadow, laughing to itself in a much different voice than Ryan had heard before. “ **heheh, the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick** ” It was a skeleton, the bare skull and empty eye sockets made that obvious enough. Its jaw seemed permanently set in a wide smile and small lights in its eyes made the face much more friendly. It almost looked more like the cartoon version of a skeleton than the real thing, seeming wider than bones should. It wore a blue hoodie over a white turtle neck and black basketball shorts. The skeleton removed the mitten on the hand he had shaken to reveal boney fingers and, unsurprisingly, a small whoopee cushion. “ **it’s always funny** ” he was saying, “ **anyways, you’re a human, right?** ”

It took a moment for Ryan to register the question the skeleton had asked. With his casual tone, he almost missed it. When it did click, he nearly made a break for the trees immediately. Toriel’s voice echoed through his thoughts, _they will not hesitate to kill you if they find out what you are._ But, in truth, he was too scared to move. Could everything really unravel that fast?

The monster did not wait for a response, taking his shock as confirmation. “ **that’s hilarious. i’m sans, sans the skeleton** ” The skeleton seemed to be waiting for him to say something, but Ryan was still debating the futility of making a run for it. Eventually, it shrugged and went on. “ **you know, i’m actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now. but, you know, i don’t really care about capturing anybody. now my brother, papyrus, he’s a human-hunting FANATIC. actually, he should be on his way over here soon** ” He pointed behind Ryan to the other side of the bridge. There was nothing beyond trees and snow that he could see, but the last thing he needed was two monsters here. “ **no need to look so scared. hey, i have an idea. go through this gate thingy. go right through. my bro made the bars too wide to stop anyone** ”

Ryan snapped out of his trance. “Wait, hold on.”

“ **oh, so he CAN talk** ” the skeleton interrupted, “ **well, there’s no time for holding on. you don’t wanna get captured, do you?** ”

Reluctantly, he saw the monster’s point. At the moment, this **sans** seemed to want to help him, though how taking toward the danger helped he could not see. Pushing his doubts and his questions aside for the moment, he turned back to the bridge and hesitated. There was no way it could support any weight. The monster gave him a shove, saying, “ **c’mon, scaredy-bones, it ain’t gonna bite you. it’s the bark you got to worry about** ” The push knocked him onto the bridge. It shook incredibly, but it held. Not wanting to stress test it any longer than necessary, he practically ran to the other side. He let go of a breath he had not realized he held once he made it. **sans** casually walked by him and gestured him to follow.

They came to a clearing in the trees. Still no other monster in sight, the only thing the clearing held that was of note was a snow-covered, wooden booth near its edge. Getting his attention by tapping him on the shoulder, **sans** told him, “ **quick, behind that conveniently-placed lamp** ” he pointed over to the booth where there was, in fact, a very large lamp standing next to it. It was a blue vase-shape that was wider near the top than at the bottom with a purple lamp shade on top of it. Had that been there a moment ago? “ **hurry!** ” the skeleton urged him. Still unsure of a better option, Ryan ran over to the lamp and ducked behind it.

It was just tall and wide enough that if he did not move a muscle nothing would see him coming from either direction. And not moments after pressing his back to it – the ceramic of the lamp as tall as him were easily heaver – he heard footsteps crunch through the snow coming from the direction he had been heading. The footsteps stopped as they came near where he thought **sans** had been standing. “ **sup bro?** ” he heard the skeleton say to the new comer.

“You know what is ‘sup,’ brother.” Another voice said. Ryan guessed that must be Papyrus. “It’s been eight days and you still haven’t recalibrated. Your. Puzzles!” The other monster sounded as if he had to tell **sans** this frequently. He thought he could hear stomping in time with the words. “You just hang around outside your station.” He went on. “What are you even doing?”

“ **staring at this lamp** ” **sans** told his brother. “ **it’s really cool. do you want to look?** ” Ryan thought he felt his heart stop. He should not have expected anything less, he realized. Why would the skeleton not rat him out immediately? What reason did he have to protect a human? And why not get a good laugh out of doing it as well? He knew he should have been more cautious.

He was about to truly make a run for the trees when the other voice shouted, “No! I don’t have time for that!” Ryan relaxed for the moment. “What if a human comes here?” Papyrus went on. “I want to be ready! I will be the one. I must be the one! I will capture a human! Then, I, The Great Papyrus, will get all the things I utterly deserve. Respect, recognition; I will finally be able to join the royal guard! People will ask… to… be my… ‘friend?’” There was a pause. Before he finished, “I will bathe in a shower of kisses every morning.”

“ **hmm maybe this lamp will help you** ” He knew it. This was far too big a risk. His first mistake had been following the path. Of course it would be patrolled. He had no idea why the thought had not occurred to him. He should have just tried to find his way through the trees. He could have simply followed the side of the dome until he was on the other side and have avoided this whole situation. But if the maps Toriel had showed him were correct, then even if he only had to cross half the dome it would still be more than a two mile hike through dense woods, knee-high snow, and monsters chasing after him with a home field advantage. _Damn it, this was supposed to be simple! Why don’t you think these things through?_

“Sans! You are not helping, you lazybones!” The brother’s conversation went on. Ryan still did not move a muscle. “All you do is sit and boondoggle! You get lazier and lazier every day!” At this point, he could not tell if the two were playing some joke on him or if sans was actually trying to sell him out and his brother was just that stupid.

“ **hey, take it easy** ” **sans** countered, “ **i’ve gotten a ton of work done today. a skele-ton** ” Ryan could not believe he had heard that.

“Sans!”                                                           

“ **come on, you’re smiling** ”

“I am and I hate it!” he sighed. “Why does someone as great as me have to do so much just to get some recognition?”

“ **wow, sounds like you’re really working yourself… down to the bone** ” Ryan almost groaned.

“Ugh, I will attend to my puzzles.” By the sound of it, the skeleton’s brother was more fed up with the jokes than him. He could not imagine what it was like to grow up together. “As for your work, put a little more… ‘Backbone’ into it.” Or, perhaps they were made for each other. Ryan heard laughter fading back into the trees.

“ **okay, you can come out now** ” **sans** shouted to him after the laugher faded away.

Ryan was halfway between walking up and grabbing the monster by the shirt and running in the other direction. He ended up doing neither. He marched up to the skeleton and stopped himself short. “ **someone looks angry** ” **sans** commented.

“What the hell was that?” He shouted loud enough that he thought the other monster, or indeed any within a half mile, may have heard him. At the moment, he did not care.

“ **that was my brother. haven’t you ever seen a skeleton before?** ”

Ryan had yet to see that smile change on the monster’s face, but somehow it seemed condescending to him now. He was not about to let the skeleton dodge the question. “You were trying to sell me out!”

He waved him off. “ **nah, i knew he wouldn’t take the bait. i was just having a private laugh** ”

“At my expense?”

The skeleton shrugged. “ **if you wanna take it personally, that’s on you. anyway, if i wanted you captured, i’d just do it. trying to trick you first would be too much effort** ” he winked at Ryan who was about to say something but clamped his mouth shut. There was no point; he was getting out of here and would likely never see the monster again. There was no point in antagonizing him.

Ryan just shook his head and starting walking towards the trees behind the booth. Difficult or not, he was beginning to think even getting lost in the woods would be better than staying there. “ **that’s not the right way** ” **sans** said to him as he reached the tree line.

He barely broke his stride. “Neither is whichever way you want me to go.” He said over his shoulder. He stepped over the bank of snow at the edge of the clearing. He had been wrong; it was well above his knees. Still, he had made his decision.

“ **you may not believe it, but there’s a lot of woods down here. you’re likely to get lost like that** ”

“I don’t care.”

“ **wouldn’t be easier if I just gave you directions?** ” He still did not stop. “ **then** **you should probably know, most of these woods have spells on them meant to confuse and disorient trespassers. some of them may even do worse than that. if you really want to go off to your death that way, be my guest, but i think listening to my proposition is a much better option** ”

Finally, Ryan stopped. He turned and went back to the skeleton. “Why should I trust you?” He asked, staring down at the monster.

“ **because you’re a human, and it’s my job to capture humans. so since you’re still walking around, i must be a nice guy. plus, i did just save you** ”

“That’s a bit of a stretch.” He interjected.

“ **so, are you going to listen to my offer, or not?** ” Ryan did not answer, but he did not turn to leave again either. He simply crossed his arms over his chest. “ **i’ll give you directions out here and to the barrier; that is where you’re going, right?** ” He stayed silent. “ **in exchange, you do me a small favor. you see, my brother’s been kinda down lately. he’s never seen a human before. and seeing you might just make his day** ”

“Absolutely not.” He told the skeleton and turned to try his luck in the forest again.

“ **oh, c’mon, he’s not dangerous. even if he tries to be** ”

“I’m not stupid.” He said over his shoulder. “I know all about the stance on humans down here. Your brother practically spelled it out himself. ‘All monsters who find a human are to capture them and bring them to the barrier. Dead or alive.’ I think I’ll take my chances on my own.”

“ **i may have forgotten to mention this,** ” the skeleton went on, “ **but there are other dangers in those woods other than a few traps. sentries like myself, for example. who knows, the next time i see you i may not be in such a good mood** ”

Ryan stopped once more. “So now you’re threatening me?”

“ **i’m a skeleton of the people. i try to do what’s best for everyone. but monsters will always be first and my book, and you ARE a human** ” He turned back to **sans** , smile still wide as ever. “ **like it or not, it’s your best option** ” he finished.

He was right, he realized. The skeleton already knew he was a human. If he ran off, he would have the rest of the Underground searching for him by tomorrow. He was at his mercy. And if he was already knee deep, he may as well dive in head first. “Fine.” He told the skeleton finally. “I’ll help you out. I’ll meet your brother.”

“ **thanks a million. i’ll be up ahead** ” **sans** turned and waved before walk back towards the ruins. “ **you ought to get going** ” he went on, gesturing the way his brother had gone. “ **he might come back. and if he does, you’ll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes** ” For a moment, Ryan just stood there; staring at the skeleton’s back. “ **what’s the hold up? look, there’s nothing to be afraid of. it’s just a dark cavern filled with skeletons and horrible monsters** ”

With a sigh, Ryan turned in the direction the other brother had gone. Toriel had warned him that the monsters in the ruins were not some of the weirdest out there, but after all this time, he had thought he had at least gotten used to it. He had walked a good ways before another thought dawned on him. “Why the heck was that lamp there?” He asked the air.

He followed the footsteps Papyrus had left in the snow. The trees became shorter around him as he walked. He knew that of a sign of increased altitude, but he was underground, did that work the same way? Plus, he certainly did not feel like he was climbing up at all. Then again, he still had not gotten used to actually having stamina.

Eventually, he thought he heard a conversation in the distance; he tried to get closer to listen in. It was **sans** and someone else, however **sans** had managed to get ahead of him. “So as I was saying about Undyne,” the other monster was saying, it was another skeleton. That must have been Papyrus. In his attempted to approach unseen, Ryan stepped on a branch which broke with an audible crack causing the skeleton to turn look right at him. He turned to **sans** whom, in turn, turned to look at Ryan. **sans** then turned back to look at Papyrus as he turned to return to looking at Ryan. Then he again returned to turning to turn to look at his brother just as he was turning back to be turned toward Ryan. They both took turns to turn towards each other and Ryan in turn several more times. Their turning quickly accelerated until Ryan could not tell which way they were trying to turn, making him turn away. Simultaneously, they then all turned to face each other. And then the skeleton brothers turned their backs to him.

“Sans! Oh my god! Is that… a human?” Papyrus whispered loudly. The other skeleton was easily twice the height of his brother. And where **sans** looked more round, Papyrus almost looked like he was stretched. He wore a black covering over the bones of his body underneath and outfit that made him look even more like something out of a kid’s cartoon. A white shirt with padded shoulders and yellow at the fringe, blue shorts, and orange boots and gloves. He even wore a cape. They certainly were a pair.

They both turned back towards Ryan once more. Though tempted to turn and run, he stayed put in the middle of the path. This was the deal, he supposed, though he would have liked some warning. However the two skeletons did not even seem to be looking at him, rather they were looking behind him. He looked over his shoulder; there was nothing behind him that he could see. “ **actually, i think that’s a rock** ” **sans** told his brother.

“Oh.” The taller skeleton said in response. Ryan was somewhere between confused and insulted. Had this monster really just confused him with the rock he had been hiding behind a moment ago? Though he supposed, before meeting him, many of the monsters in the ruins may not have been able to make the distinction either, especially not his friends.

“ **hey, what’s that in front of the rock?** ” **sans** goaded.

Papyrus’s eyes snapped to him then, as if he had suddenly appeared and not been standing there the while time. He even jumped back in shock. “Oh my god!” skepticism lit up his face. Lending to his cartoon appearance, the skeleton seemed able to change the shape of his eye sockets, lending him a measure of expression. He leaded down to his brother and whispered, “Is… is that a human?”

“ **yes** ”

Papyrus’s face lit up with joy. The skeleton looked ready to jump in excitement. “Oh my god! Sans, I finally did it! Undyne will… I’m gonna… I’ll be so…” The taller brother stammered, and finally he did jump, “Popular! Popular! Popular!” He cleared his throat and, for the first time, addressed Ryan directly taking on an air of regality. “Human!” He started dramatically, “You shall not pass this area! I, The Great Papyrus, will stop you. I will then capture you; you will be delivered to the capital, and then… then… I’m not sure what happens next… In any case, continue only if you dare! Nyeh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh!” With the bout of laughter, Papyrus ran off down the path.

“ **that went well** ” **sans** commented once his brother was out of earshot.

Still staring after where the monster had gone, Ryan said, “Compared to some of the reactions I’ve gotten so far, I’m inclined to agree.” He turned to the other skeleton. “Whether or not it was a good idea, I did what you asked. So how about those directions? Preferably ones where I don’t run into anyone else.”

“ **oh, come on, did you see how happy he was? you can’t leave him hanging now. can’t you go along with it for a little longer?** ” He gave the skeleton a stare he hoped was intimidating. **sans** waved him off again. “ **don’t sweat it, kid. i’ll keep an eye socket out for you. you’ll be just fine** ”

The skeleton turned to leave, but Ryan stopped him with a question. “Does he know what he’s doing?” he asked. “Does know why he’s capturing humans?”

The squat monster stopped, but did not turn around. “ **for recognition. didn’t you listen? the moment they told him he could join the royal guard if he caught a human, he didn’t need to hear anymore** ”

“This is not going to end well.” Ryan said more to himself, but **sans** commented anyway.

“ **that’s up to you, kid** ” the skeleton walked behind the rock that had been mistaken for a human and seemed to vanish.

Ryan found himself alone in the woods once more. The trees were now what he would consider a normal height, no longer towering over him, and it somehow made the forest seem far less foreboding. He was not sure what to do; he should try to get away from this place and everyone in it as fast as possible, but he had little hope of that now. It would be best to just be ready for the worst and hope for the best.

As he was wondering whether or not he could climb one of the tall pines to get a better look at the area, he saw one of the trees rustle. As his eyes shot to it, he heard a yelp and watched as something fell out of the tree, making a small lump in the snow. The lump groaned as Ryan ran up to it. “Are you okay?” he asked as he got to his knees. Another groan was his only response.

Brushing off the snow, he saw that it was a bird of some sort. Its blue feathers had a sheen like ice and the plume on its head made it look like a snow flake. He knew the type, Toriel had told him about them; it was a Snowdrake.

Helping the monster to its feet, its pain seemed forgotten as it saw him for the first time. Before he could say anything the Snowdrake escaped his grip and half ran half flew deeper into the forest with another yelp. “Hey, wait!” He yelled, but the monster was gone. Did it know he was a human? Oh well, no point worrying about a problem he had no control over.

He stood up and brushed the snow off his pants; the act bringing the thought of how cold it was back to the front of his mind. He started to shiver immediately. Pulling his lighter out of his pocket, he took its flame and started to make it larger and warmer. Then he had an idea. He lowered the temperature of the flame until it was just pleasantly warm and altered it to no longer give off light. Invisible heat hovering over his hand, he made it grow and then let it sink into his clothes as if it were water. Tying it off, the spell would no longer need his concentration to maintain itself, or his energy. Toriel never had explained that part to him. If not from him, how did the spell gain the energy to sustain itself? It violated all laws he knew. Then again it was magic.

Regardless the reason, the spell worked and he felt warmer already. “If only I had gloves.” He said to himself as he started after the skeleton again. The footprints in the snow led him to a wooden booth similar to the one he had seen before. Although this one looked far more shoddily put together. The footprints stopped in front of it and then became cluttered as if the skeleton had been dancing in that spot. On the front of the booth was a sign, it read,

_You observe the well-crafted sentry station. Who could have built this, you ponder. I bet it was that very famous royal guardsman! (Note: not yet a very famous royal guardsman.)_

Ryan chuckled to himself. “I wonder who could have built this.”

Leaving the stand and the clearing behind, he continued to follow the trail left for him deeper into the woods. As he went on, the trees thinned out a good deal and the path disappeared. The canopy of needles had once again grown to be above his head. The bare trunks were scattered every dozen feet or so. If not for the monsters’ trail, he would certainly have gotten lost. He looked around him warily. Anything could be hiding behind those trees.

His eye fell on a third of the sentry stations. This one looked about as well-put together as the first and had another sign on it in a different hand.

_Absolutely NO MOVING!_ It read.

Had he fallen into a trap? He had not expected the likes in the middle of the forest, though Toriel had told him monsters built them everywhere. In the beginning they were scared of the humans ambushing them and finishing them off. After a while it apparently became a tradition. Did one of the skeletons mention something about puzzles? He could not remember.

He also could not stay here, trap or no. He took a step, bracing himself for anything. Nothing came hurling from branches, popped out of the ground, or gave way beneath him. Letting go of a held breath, he continued on.

Before making it another step, he heard a voice from inside the booth. “Did something move?” Ryan froze. A hand reached up to grab the lip of the wood and the monster behind it pulled itself off the ground. It was a dog monster. From the neck down, it was practically human aside from the tail. But its head was decidedly dog-like with its muzzle and ears on top of its head and large golden eyes. It was also covered in short white fur but for the top of its head which was black.

The monster looked exhausted, glancing back and forth through squinted, bloodshot eyes. Its clothing consisted of camo pants reaching the bottom of its digitigrade legs, and a pale pink tank top with the picture of another dog on it. Jumping over the front of the booth, the dog monster continued scanning the forest. Somehow, it had not seen him standing right in front of it.

“I’m sure I saw something moving.” The monster went on; it sounded about as tired as it looked. “If something was moving, say a human!” The monster rounded on him and came to within inches of his face. Still, the dog monster seemed to be looking though him. Ryan did not move. The monster smelled like burnt dog biscuits. After an eternal moment, the monster moved away and finished, “I’ll make sure they never move again.”

The dog monster’s back was to him now. He could get away, it was the perfect chance. But… it was a dog. There was only one option. Slowly, he crept up on the monster. Unsure whether the monster was able to hear his movements, he froze whenever it turned his way. Once he was right behind the monster as it dug through a pile of snow, he reached out and pat it on the head. The monster jumped. “What? I have been pet!” The dog began looking around even more fiercely than before, clawing at the air as it spun in circles and narrowly missing Ryan in the process. Not flinching was difficult. “Something pet me… Something that isn’t moving.” The monster analyzed as it calmed down. Ryan thought about speaking up, but dismissed it quickly. He did not want to find out whether the swords on its back were just for show or if it knew how to use them.

Still wary, the dog walked back to its booth as its search did not turn up anything. “I’m gonna need more dog biscuits for this.” It said to itself as it got back down to the ground.

Snoring told him that the monster had quickly fallen back asleep and Ryan tip towed away from the booth. The foot prints led him to another clearing; the biggest by far. The ground curved down around the edges making it look like a shallow plateau. He could almost see over the tops of the trees here. “ **hey** ” **sans’s** voice came from behind him as he was looking around him, making him jump. “ **you seem to be finding your way just fine** ”

Shaking off his adrenaline, he turned and told the monster as calmly as he could, “Well, it’s not hard to follow your brother. I’m not much of a hunter, but snow makes for easy tracking. Speaking of which, I ran into a dog…”

“ **oh, yeah, that was probably one of the other sentries. their whole family signed up for the gig saying ‘it was in their blood,’ whatever that means. there are usually more monsters out and about, but they’re probably all asleep now** ”

“So, there are more sentries?” That seemed to him like a detail that should not have been just glossed over, especially if he was to be going along with this.

“ **yeah, most of the sentry posts are on this path back to town, but don’t worry. they should be on patrol at this time so you shouldn’t run into any of them. provided you don’t go running off** ”

Ryan did his best to hold back his anger. This skeleton was playing him like a fiddle and treating it as a joke besides, but if there was more than just the two skeletons in this forest dedicated to hunting him down if he were discovered, there was not much he could do but go along with it. That did not mean he had to be happy about it, though. “Did you want something? Or are you just here to watch me suffer?”

“ **actually, there was something i wanted to tell you, something important that you should remember: my brother has a very special attack** ”

“Attack?”

“ **yes, attack. if you see a blue attack, don’t move and it won’t hurt you** ”

“Why would he be attacking me? I thought you said your brother was harmless.”

The skeleton shrugged. “ **i just said it was important to remember. anyway, just remember. here’s an easy way to keep it in mind. imagine a stop sign. when you see a stop sign, you stop, right? stop signs are red. so imagine a blue stop sign instead. simple, right? when fighting, think about blue stop signs** ”

Ryan pressed his fingers to his temples. “You really aren’t helping the case where I still think you are trying to kill me in some incredibly complex and diabolical way.”

“ **if you read too much into something, that’s on you** ” **sans** took a step and then seemed to slide away from him. Ryan realized how when he took a step as well and slipped on the ice beneath a thin layer of snow..

“If Toriel saw how stupid I’m being she’d tie me to the wall and never let me leave again.” Ryan said as he pulled himself off the ground. He then followed **sans’s** example and slid across the ice.

When he finally caught up to the skeleton in another clearing, he was talking with his brother. “You’re so lazy!” Papyrus was saying, “You were napping all night!”

“ **i think they call that sleeping** ” **sans** told him.

His brother waved him off. “Excuses, excuses.” He then turned his attention to Ryan as if he had known he was there the whole time. “Oh-ho, the human arrives!” He said anyway. “In order to stop you, my brother and I have created some puzzles. I think you will find this one quite shocking.” The skeleton dramatically gestured at the ground in front of him. Ryan looked down. A rectangle had been dug out of the snow so it was a about an inch lower than the surrounding space. He could not make out anything other than that. “For you see, this is the invisible electricity maze! When you touch the walls of this maze, this orb will administer a hearty zap. Sound like fun?” The skeleton was holding up a small glass orb and looking at Ryan with a great amount of satisfaction and anticipation.

Ryan looked at the orb, looked at the ground again, and then back to Papyrus. “No…” he said simply.

“Yes! The amount of fun you will probably have is… actually rather small I think.” He looked off into the distance as if he were about to reconsider something, but shook it off and turned back to him again. “Okay, you can go ahead now.”

Ryan did nothing for a moment and then asked, “So I walk on this invisible maze, and if I make a mistake, that thing zaps me?” He pointed to the orb.

“Ah! It is good that you are confirming the directions before beginning. It is important one has complete understanding of the puzzle they are about to attempt. You must have been a very smart human where you came from. That said, you are correct.”

He was not sure why he was saying this, but, “Then shouldn’t I be holding the orb?”

“What? That is ridiculous! I take back everything that I just said. You have delayed your fate long, human! Now begin!”

Ryan shrugged and took a step into the rectangle. The skeleton immediately became covered in bolts of electricity and spasmed out of control. Ryan stepped off the maze and the electricity stopped, leaving the skeleton blackened. “Sans! What did you do?” Papyrus shouted at his brother.

“ **i think the human has to hold the orb** ” **sans** told him.

That seemed to be enough for his brother coming from him. “Oh, okay.” Papyrus then walked over to Ryan. He did not walk around the maze, even though the clearing was large enough to do so with ease. Instead, he walked through the length of the maze over to Ryan. “Hold this please.” He placed the orb on Ryan’s head. He tried to pull it off, but for some reason it was stuck there. The skeleton then walked back through the maze, taking the same path he took to get there in the first place. The rectangle in the snow now had clearly defined footprints throughout it. “Okay, try now.” Papyrus told him once he was back next to his brother. Ryan was now certain he was being played. He cannot be _that_ stupid. The skeleton continued to stare at him expectantly, so he started to cross the maze taking the path the footprints had left, easily finishing it without difficulty. Soon, he was on the other side staring down the two brothers. The orb fell off his head into the snow. The taller skeleton’s face was a mixture of shock and awe. “Incredible, you slippery snail! You solved it so easily. Too easily!” He rubbed his gloved hand together as if ideas were beginning to pop into his head. “However, the next puzzle will not be easy. It is designed by my brother, sans. You will surely be confounded. I know I am! Nyeh heh heh heh heh!” Papyrus moonwalked away.

“ **you look confused** ” **sans** said once he was gone.

“I am. And don’t call me Shirley.” He told the skeleton.

“ **what?** ”

“Never mind.”

“ **hey, thanks for doing this. my brother seems to be having fun** ”

He realized he agreed with the skeleton. Papyrus did seem like enjoyment was the only thing on his mind. He still wanted to capture him, sure, but it did not seem to Ryan that it was for any degree of malice. He simply wanted to join this Royal Guard. Plus, the way he was going about it… And **sans** just wanted to make his brother happy. Still, this had the potential to go well beyond dangerous and he had to make sure that did not happen. It was time to take control of the situation. Ryan looked at the skeleton flatly. “You make it sound like I had a choice.”

The skeleton shrugged. “ **everyone has a choice, your alternative just happens to be almost certain death** ”

An idea came to him just then. He stared out into the distance the way Papyrus had gone. “Tell me, sans, what do you know about humans and magic?”

The monster’s expression did not shift, but Ryan thought he could sense a measure of strain in his voice now. “ **i know that the humans of old were very powerful in terms of magic. but you are not, i would know if you were** ”

Ryan smiled and a ring of fire surrounded the two of them. It was quite the clever idea, he could use the spells he left in his clothes much faster than pulling out his lighter every time. At least until he finally figured out how to make things on his own. He made the flames taller than the both of them. He turned to the skeleton. **sans’s** face had gone dark, but for the moment, he did nothing. “You and I share something in common.” Ryan told him. “We both assume the worst of people.” He let the fires die out before continuing. The snow was hardly even melted. “I know you just want to help your brother. I did not refuse in the beginning because I have some sort of mission to destroy monsters, I mean you nor your brother, nor any monster any harm. I simply had somewhere to be and was being impatient. So let’s start over and stop waiting for the other to stab them in the back.”

**sans’s** cold stare melted as the flames vanished. By the time Ryan held his hand out to the monster to shake, he took it with little hesitation and a wet fart rang through the still forest.

“Also, I stole your whoopee cushion.” He finished holding up his hand. They both laughed.

When they both calmed down, they looked down the path in the trees Papyrus had gone and **sans** said, “ **i think we’ve let him run off on his own long enough, huh?** ”

“You’re probably right. Hey, so, if you don’t mind me asking, where is all of this going?”

The skeleton considered for a moment, as if weighing the words he wanted to say. “ **hopefully, somewhere good for all of us. how’s that sound?** ”

“Vague, but good enough for now.”


	7. Snowy

“… **we made it a few weeks ago for a costume party** ” **sans** was saying as he and Ryan walked under the snowcapped trees after Papyrus together this time. “ **he hasn’t worn anything else since. keeps calling it his ‘battle body’** ” The skeleton shook his head. “ **man, isn’t my brother cool?** ”

Ryan stifled a laugh. “Not the world I would use.” He told him bluntly. “You two seem to think very highly of each other, though. Even if your brother does seem to get on your case a bit.”

“ **of course, we’re bros. how else would we think?** ”

Ryan looked up at the tops of the trees, the urge to climb to the top of one still pressed at the back of his mind. “You’re probably right there.” When he looked back to the skeleton, there was an air of confusion about him.

“ **only child?** ”

“Might as well have been.” It was barely a whisper. Ryan began to walk ahead of **sans** into another break in the trees. The clearing was near the edge of a cliff, a gap in the rock that may have once held a small stream before it was eroded away by time and was much deeper than it was wide split the cliff neatly in half. The edge of the cliff dropped even farther than the ancient waterway and Ryan could finally look out over the frozen forest. In the faint light he could make out nothing more than silhouettes past the first few hundred feet, but even the shadows made it look immense. Form where he was standing the forest looked mainly a solid canopy of trees. Clearings large enough to be made out from that distance were few and far in between. Even less frequently were what looked like roofs poking out from the trees. He supposed monsters really did live out in the woods. Did **sans** say something about a town?

And he thought he could have just wandered through that and made it out alive? “ **what’s the matter, kid? you look like you’ve seen a monster** ” **sans** asked, joining him at the cliff.

Ryan realized he his mouth was hanging open and he shut it. “I just… never thought I’d see some place so big down here.”

**sans** made a noise that sounded like a scoff. “ **big? didn’t you come from the surface? i thought that was supposed to be much bigger than down here** ”

Ryan tore his eyes from the view after another minute. “Somehow this just seems like so much more.”

The skeleton shrugged. “ **well, it certainly isn’t big to us monsters. it seems to most like we’re almost full up. more monsters come streaming into the forest from the capital every day. and it’s bigger than here, if you can believe that** ”

The two started to walk again, making their way over to a small wooden bridge that spanned the gap in the cliff. This one looked to be in better shape than the last at least. “Capital?” Ryan asked as they reached the edge.

“ **new home** ” **sans** nodded. “ **it’s quite the place. you should visit sometime if you have the chance. nah, who am i kidding? sightseeing’s probably the last thing on your mind. i’m sure you’re just trying to get to your own home, right?** ”

Before he could answer, Ryan’s attention was drawn to something behind one of the trees on the other side to the gorge and he stopped. As he was trying to plot out how best to approach the situation, **sans** jumped in. “ **i wonder who that is** ” The skeleton started to walk around the tree, leaving Ryan to scramble to catch up against his better judgment.

Once on the other side, he discovered that what he had seen had been a red and yellow stripped umbrella sticking out of a small metal cart. Leaning next to the cart was a blue bipedal rabbit wearing colors to match the umbrella. The monster looked to be in about the same mood as the color of its short fur. It was slumped against the cart with eyes turned down and long ears drooped. The crunch of their footsteps seemed to catch its attention and it looked up at them. As it did it started to look excited. A practiced smile came to its face. “Oh, customers!” It said.

**sans** gave him a not-too-light slap on the shoulders. “ **i’ll let you handle this one, buddy** ”

“Hey, friend, want to buy some nice cream?” The monster said as **sans’s** shove brought Ryan closer to the cart. He thought he must have heard wrong.

“Ice cream? You’re selling ice cream?”

The rabbit beamed with pride as it answered. “Great idea, right? It’s the perfect weather for something cold.” Its good cheer was then gone just as quickly as it came and it slumped over the cart again with hand on head. “Oh, who am I kidding? For some reason, everyone just seems to pass me by. I don’t get it.”

Ryan looked at the monster incredulously. “Because you’re trying to sell ice cream” – he gestured around himself – “in the middle of a frozen forest.”

Something seemed to dawn on the monster at that moment, though not what Ryan had hoped would. “You’re right! This whole place is my completion. How could I not realize it sooner? Maybe I should think about moving.”

Ryan suppressed bringing his hand to his temples but was unable to stop the corners of his mouth from twisting into an irritated smile. While the rabbit was mumbling to itself over the pros and cons of different locations, he fished some money out of his pocket and put it on the stand, snapping the monster out of its thoughts. “Wait, you really want some?” it asked; the excitement was back in its eyes again.

“You look like you need this more than me.” Ryan gave as an answer.

The monster opened one of the lids on the cart and pulled out a package that he handed to Ryan. It looked exactly like one of the bars that they would sell out of a street corner stand or vending machine in the world above. Though, it was certainly no brand he recognized. “Nice Cream?” He read from the label.

“Yup. It’s the frozen treat that warms your heart. Open it and see.” The monster gave him the biggest smile yet.

Curious more so than anything, he opened the package. There was writing on the inside of the bag, it said,

_Have a wonderful day!_

That _was_ nice, he guessed. Unsure what else to do with it, he shoved the wrapper in his pocket and began to eat the ice cream on a stick while he wished the rabbit monster luck with its future endeavors. Walking back to **sans** , the skeleton gave him a look. “He has my pity, that’s all.” Ryan defended as he ate his treat. It was not quite vanilla, but it was close enough that he did not care. Like all the other food he had eaten since arriving, it made him feel invigorated; ironically driving the rest of the chill from his bones that the spell he wove into his clothes had not gotten to yet.

“ **you know, i’ve been thinking about selling treats too** ” **sans** told him sounding on the verge of laughter. “ **want some fried snow? it’s just five g** ” The sarcasm was heavy in the monster’s voice, but Ryan would not be goaded.

“Sure.” He told the monster simply without looking down to him. He kept his eyes thoroughly on the trail ahead of him.

“ **did i say five g? i meant fifty g** ”

Ryan continued along with it. “That’s fine.”

“ **did i say fifty g? i meant five thousand g. how about now?** ”

“Why not?”

They both stopped and finally looked at one another. “ **well, show me the money** ” The skeleton held out his hand.

“I don’t have it.” Ryan shrugged.

“ **that’s ok. i don’t have any snow** ” Ryan rolled his eyes. “ **i’m gonna go make sure my brother’s ready with whatever he has cooked up. i’ll see you in a minute** ” The skeleton walked behind one of the trees and vanished.

Once he was sure the monster was gone, Ryan circled the tree to see if there were any trap doors, but he found none. “I gotta learn how to do that.” He said to himself.

A light breeze brought with it a sense of unease. Like at the exit to the ruins, he suddenly felt like he was being watched. Looking around, he saw nothing but the trees. _What is it with this place?_ He thought to himself. He had not been jumping at shadows like this since middle school. He tried his best to shrug it off and move on.

Just as he turned to continue onward, there was a figure in front of him. It was shaped like the back of a camel with a face that was… odd. It had four legs, long, serpentine arms and horns protruding out of its head. It just stood there looking at him. Its breathing had the distinct characteristic of someone whose nose was clogged. “Hey,” Ryan tried to no avail, it just stared up at him. This… thing was starting to remind Ryan of the Froggits in the catacombs, so he decided to deal with this the same way as them and just left whatever it was to its own devices.

As he walked on, however, the nasally breathing continued to follow behind him. Turning back, he saw that the monster was still behind him. When he stopped, the monster stopped. When he walked faster, so did the monster. Yet still, it did not say or do anything. After a minute, he could not take it anymore. He suddenly spun around and pointed behind the monster shouting, “Look… snow!” It was a desperate, and not very well thought out plan, yet the monster went running in the direction he had pointed nonetheless. When it was out of sight, Ryan shivered; it was not from the cold.

As he continued on, the forest began to hug the side of a cliff. A clearly artificial path wound its way up the length and the trail of footprints ran up it as well. Conscious of rocks deciding to fall on his head, sentient or otherwise, he made his way up the slope until he broke out above the treetops to see the path end at a flat plateau that held nothing but snow and the two skeletons. They were turned to him as if they had expected him at that exact moment.

“Human!” Papyrus shouted at him from the other side small plateau. A path continued on behind them, and aside from back where he came there was no way off except to jump. Not that he considered it or anything. “I hope you are ready for…” The skeleton stopped and looked around before turning to his brother. “Sans! Where is the puzzle?”

“ **it’s right there** ” He pointed to the ground. Midway between the two of them there was a white rectangle half sticking out of the snow. “ **trust me, there’s no way they can get past this one** ”

Without waiting for any sort of signal from either of them, he walked up and plucked the thing from the snow. It was a piece of paper, unlaminated yet still dry from sitting on the ground. He turned it over. The words ‘Monster Kidz Word Search’ were in block letters along the top in several pastel colors. And it was just that, a word search. He walked over to the pair looking at them both like they had six heads. “What exactly am I supposed to do with this?” He asked them.

Instead of answering him, the taller skeleton yelled at his brother once more. “Sans! That didn’t do anything!”

“ **whoops, knew i should have used today’s crossword instead** ”

Papyrus looked at sans like he was speaking nonsense. Though, again, not for the reason Ryan would have guessed. “What? Crossword? I can’t believe you said that! In my opinion… junior jumble is easily the hardest.”

**sans** gave his brother back nearly the same look. “ **what? really, dude? that easy-peasy word scramble? that’s for baby-bones** ”

The taller skeleton rolled his eyes. “Un. Believable.” The brothers both tuned back to Ryan. “Human, solve this dispute!”

Ryan looked back and forth between the two of them. “I fail to see how any of this is relevant.” He said, but **sans** gave him a look that said ‘just go with it.’ With a sigh, he answered, “Actually, I’m inclined to agree with the taller one. My brain can’t comprehend word jumbles for some reason…”

“Haha. Yes. Humans must be very intelligent if they also find junior jumble so difficult.” The skeleton ran off laughing once again.

Once the two of them were alone again, **sans** said, “ **thanks for saying junior jumble just to appease my brother** ”

Ryan shook his head “No, I don’t know how hard the one you’re referring to is, but word scrambles, for the most part, I legitimately can’t do…”

“ **well, the one we were talking about is for little kids, so it’s usually pretty easy. but, papyrus finds difficulty in interesting places. like yesterday: he got stumped trying to ‘solve’ the horoscope** ”

“Yeah, that’s interesting…”

“ **well, if you’re not going to do that word search, i will** ” **sans** told him. “ **i’ll meet you ahead again when i’m done** ” He took the paper from Ryan and started walking back the way he had come.

“Sans, how many more of these ‘puzzles’ does your brother have set up in this forest?”

“ **a few** ” The skeleton said simply. “ **nothing i’m sure you can’t handle, though. and then you’re done** ”

“And then what?”

“ **i don’t know. you can leave or do whatever else you want. just remember: blue stop signs** ”

“Do you really think I’m going to fight your brother?”

“ **if there were only one truth in the world, it would be that anything is possible** ”

“I guess you’re right.” Ryan whispered to himself as he took in everything around him. He continued to follow after the other skeleton.

The path seemed to be well a truly heading up the side of a mountain now. It had dipped below the tree line again after he had left behind the small plateau and the tree line followed him up the steep slope as he continued on. Staring out over the edge past a few sparse trees, Ryan could see he was getting to be quite high above the rest of the forest. “A mountain under a mountain. I’m sure there’s a joke there somewhere.” He said to himself.

The trail widened in front of him in the wake of shallow cave that looked to be cut out of the rock on purpose. There were two tables sitting in the clearing, both clear of snow. One had what looked like an old fashion microwave on it and the other held a plate of spaghetti. Walking underneath the shallow stone roof, he imagined this must be a picnic stop of hikers. Given the perpetual state of winter around here, that explained the microwave, but why did it only have buttons that said ‘spaghetti’ on them? And why was there even a plate of spaghetti there? Looking closer at the other table, Ryan saw there was a note next to the plate. Picking it up, it read,

_Human! Please enjoy this spaghetti. (Little do you know this spaghetti is actually a trap designed to entice you. You’ll be so busy eating it that you won’t realize that you aren’t progressing! Thoroughly japed again by The Great Papyrus!)_

_Nyeh heh heh, Papyrus._

Ryan looked back to the pasta, it already had a layer of frost growing on it. He picked up a fork nonetheless and took a stab at it. It was frozen solid. The microwave proved to be no help in the matter either; none of the buttons worked even though it was powered on and plugged into… something. A cable ran from the back of the appliance to the bottom of the rock face. Right next to where it met was a small mouse hole. “I guess it’s all yours, little buddy.” Ryan said to the possible mouse as he finished investigating the cable. “Though I don’t think you’ll have much better luck than me…”

Eventually, the slope flattened out until he was on level ground once more high above the rest of the forest. Smaller trees were scattered sparsely over the top of the underground mountain and the ground quickly went back to a downward slope not more than a dozen paces from him. At the edge of the clearing, right where Ryan entered it, a sign was nailed to one of the trees.

_Warning: Dog Marriage_

The sign rose a lot of questions in Ryan’s mind, but none worth seriously addressing aside from whether or not he should expect unwanted company. Along the ground, as scattered as the trees were a number of small mounds of snow that did not look like they had gotten there naturally and his worry deepened. He kept an eye on everything as he crossed the clearing, so he was taken by surprise when he suddenly tripped on something buried in the snow in front of him. An old instinct kicked in and he threw his weight to roll across his shoulders and back onto his feet before he could crash into the snow. Looking back at where he had tripped, he saw something now poking out of the snow. He brushed the snow away that covered it partly still and discovered that it was a lever of some sort, and, conscious of the fact that it could be part of some sort of trap, he pulled it. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” He told himself.

Nothing happened. There was no rumble or other noise he could hear even in the still silence of the forest. Standing back up with a sigh, he watched as one of the mounds of snow began to roll down the gentle slope towards him. Thinking it had just been knocked free by some unknown force, he casually stepped aside as it rolled past. However, there was something rolling it. It was a small, white dog. It had its front paws on the rolling ball while it walked on it hind legs after it. “Hey, little guy.” Ryan said as the dog waddled past him. In response, the dog dropped back down to all fours and turned to bark at him in greeting, panting and wagging its tail. “You’re a pretty normal looking guy for down here.” He knelt down to pet the dog, but it barked once more and went running towards one of the trees before he had gotten close. Ryan ran after it, thinking it must have been playing. The dog dove behind the tree and he followed after. But he did not find a small, white dog waiting for him on the other side. What he found was a figure in a set of full plate armor wielding a shield as tall as either of them and a sword just as long. The same dog’s head stuck out of the top of the armor, but he found it hard to believe.

“Uh…” Was about all Ryan could manage as a response to the situation. The armored dog barked, but otherwise made no move to attack him. It held its weapons like it was not quite sure what it should be doing with them, and he hoped it was not an act. Ryan reached out his hand towards the dog, hoping he could resolve any issues before they arose. “Easy boy.” He whispered.

He had barely raised his hand and the dog’s head seemed to perk up. Ryan lifted his hand closer to the dog and it seemed to perk up even more. As he would inch his hand closer; the dog’s neck would continue to grow. It grew to the point where Ryan would no longer be able to pet its head, as intended, and would have to pet its neck instead. Now with a neck almost three feet long, Ryan registered that there was something amiss about this dog, but he pressed on nonetheless. Reaching closer still, the dog’s neck grew so long that its head flopped upside-down back to a point where he could pet it. Ryan patted the dog on the head and it barked excitedly. Its neck then slinked back into its armor like a tape measure being released and it bounded off to someplace unknown. For a moment, Ryan just stood there. “I’m starting to like this place.” He said to himself.

After backtracking a bit, he found Papyrus’s trail in the snow and began following back down the other side of the mountain. He managed to trip on a spike of ice sticking out of the ground before he made it very far. For the first time in his life that he could remember, he was thankful for the snow on the ground. He certainly needed it that day.

“Hey watch it!” The spike shouted as Ryan got back to his feet and brushed himself off. It shook itself revealing a monster beneath that was using the icicle as some sort of hat. It had a small body and a comparatively large head. Its nose was shaped like a drill – it even spun like one, he noticed – and its eyes held a light of arrogance. The monster barely came up to his waist, hat included, and looked to be made out of ice itself. It caught him investigating it and said, “See something you like?”

Ryan was more angry at himself than anything, but couldn’t manage to keep it out of his voice. “What were you doing just lying in the snow?” he asked the monster.

“I was sleeping, like anyone rational would be at this time.” The living ice looked him up and down in turn. “What about you? Why are you up and about at this hour? Could it be you could not resist looking at my awesome hat?” It gestured to the chunk of ice on its head.

“No, not really.” Ryan told it bluntly.

“Are you sure? You haven’t stopped looking at it even once since you saw it.”

Ryan realized that he had finally found a monster that was not a dog or a skeleton, more importantly it was one who did not know he was human, or at least they said nothing yet. Forgetting whatever it was the ice monster was talking about, he decided to ask it a question. “Hey, I was wondering-”

“Wondering what? Where you could get a hat this cool too? Well, I’m sorry to say this is the only one and you can’t have it.” Ryan had just about enough of the monster and its hat at that point. With a shake of the head he started walking away, experience telling him that was best way to deal with the brat and just hope he never ran into him again. This monster was not going to be of much help. It seemed he would just have to search out other help or simply continue to follow the skeletons to the end of this whole ordeal. Though, he was getting increasingly frustrated at that, regardless of whether he had agreed to do it or not. Not very surprisingly, the monster shouted after him. “Hey wait, where are you going?”

“Back to my business.” He told it. “As in none of yours.”

“But I thought we were talking about my hat.”

“I honestly don’t care.”

The monster seemed genuinely taken aback. As if the idea of someone not caring about his hat was truly impossible. Ryan decided to teach it a lesson. Pointing behind him he said, “Hey now _that’s_ a cool hat.” It had worked once already, why not again?

Sure enough, it did. The monster turned and Ryan snatched the hat off of it. Unexpectedly, there was a flash of light that made Ryan turn away and cover his eyes. When it vanished, there was just a block of ice where the monster had stood. “What kind of weird Frosty the Snowman cap is this?” He asked himself as he looked back and forth between the hat and the cube.

“Very funny.” A voice said from somewhere in front of him. “Can I have that back now?” The block of ice seemed to say to him. “I kind of need that to… be.”

Ryan placed the hat back on the block of ice and the monster returned to its original form. “I guess that really is a special hat.” He commented.

“I told you.”

Ryan frowned again. “That doesn’t excuse being obnoxious about it.”

The ice monster looked genuinely regretful. “I know. I get obsessed sometimes… Sorry.”

Ryan realized he must have been dealing with a kid at that point and forgave the monster somewhat. “That’s alright.” He smiled. “Just try to remember that there’s more that makes you, you than just that hat, okay?” The monster nodded. “Where do you live? Can’t be out here in the middle of nowhere.”

“Snowdin.” The monster said simply.

“And where’s that?” He asked the monster.

“You mean you don’t know?” Ryan shot it a look and it went on in a much different tone. “Across the valley, that way.” It pointed behind him. “It’s on the edge of the dome, and overlooks the forest. Say, are you one of those monsters from the capital?”

“Something like that.” Ryan told it.

“Then you should have passed through it to get to the forest, there’s no other way here that I know of.”

Ryan smiled once more. “You’re right, I think I remember it now. Why don’t you head home, okay? Get some real sleep.” The monster nodded and started to walk back into the trees. Ryan waited until it was gone from sight until he continued on his own path.

Parts of the ground started to descend around him, the remnants of long dried up or frozen over streams and rivers. Soon, the narrow strip of land barely wide enough for three abreast was the only thing at his elevation anywhere near him. Looking over the edge, he saw that valleys far below were also filled with trees and looked like a whole other forest themselves. A part of the path was oddly clear of snow in front of him. There were metal plates in the ground that contained holes where it looked like something may shoot out of them. But there was nothing there now. Ryan wondered if Papyrus might have disarmed it himself and then he remembered the switch up the hill. “Ha! Too fast for you.” He said to himself and continued on.

Ryan barely got a step over them when a hooded figure jumped up from below, blocking the path in front of him. “What’s that smell?” It said.

Another figure jumped up behind him, blocking off his retreat. “Where’s that smell?” It echoed. They both carried long handled axes and wore black robes with hoods that covered their faces, but the nose of a dog stuck out from the cloth. He certainly seemed to be running into a lot of these sentries sans told him he did not need to worry about.

“If you’re a smell…” The monster in front of him went on. It spun its ax behind it, looking ready to swing at any moment and took a step towards him.

“Identify yoursmellf!” The monster behind him finished, mirroring the first monster’s movements.

The two figures were circling him. Ryan did not dare move. He could see that the hoods both figures wore were covering their eyes. Why they did not bother to pull them up, he could take a few guesses. Eventually, their circling stopped as they zeroed in on him. Sniffing the air inches in front of him, the one figure said, “Hmm… Here’s that weird smell. It makes me want to eliminate.”

The monster swung its ax at Ryan who narrowly avoided it by jumping back, right into the other monster behind him. “Eliminate you!” The other finished and swung its ax as well. It came even closer than the first one. The figures both threw back their hoods. Definitely more dogs. The two stood close to each other. “Where’d that smell go?” One of them said. They both sniffed the air. Ryan could see now that their eyes were a milky gray and looked slightly glossed over. So they were blind then. Continuing to sniff, they followed Ryan to where had jumped back from their attacks. Ryan ran out of their path, but they continued to sniff after him, swinging their axes whenever they came close.

One of the narrow misses made Ryan go off balance and he tumbled into the snow, but he was up on his feet a moment later. The pair of dogs seemed to now be sniffing the air in confusion. They stood back to back with their axes at the ready.

“What? Smells like a…” One said.

“Are you actually a puppy?” The other said.

Ryan caught on immediately: the snow must be masking his scent. He quickly grabbed handfuls of it and rubbed them over his body. The pair of dogs walked over to him and sniffed him carefully. They seemed less on edge but still wary.

Now close enough, Ryan did what he felt he must and pat them both on the head. They jumped back, but did not raise their weapons.

“Wow, pet by another pup!” One said amazed.

“Dogs can pet other dogs?” The other dog had a hand under its chin as if it were trying to puzzle out the implications of this new information. The pair nodded at each other at the same time; Ryan questioned if they were aware of that fact. The dogs took each other’s hands and turned towards him. “A new world has opened up for us. Thanks weird puppy.”

“I guess you’re alright after all. Sorry for attacking you.” Not waiting for any response, they threw their hoods back on and wandered off to reconsider everything they knew.

Continuing on, Ryan almost quite literally ran to Papyrus again. He had been standing behind a tree and had just walked into the path as Ryan was walking by. He was also alone this time. The skeleton seemed more surprised to see him than the other way around. “What? How did you avoid my traps?” He demanded of him. “And, more importantly, is there any left for me?” The last was said in a very hopeful tone.

Ryan realized he was talking about the spaghetti awhile back. “Um, yeah, you see, it was frozen solid by the time I got there.” He told him.

If the skeleton had eyebrows, Ryan was certain one would be raised. “You didn’t use the microwave?”

“Broken.”

Papyrus stomped the ground. “Drats! Foiled by MTT technology again. Still, I can’t believe you resisted the flavor of my home cooked pasta. Just so you could share it with me!” Ryan opened his mouth to correct him, but Papyrus went on. “Fret not human! I, Master Chef Papyrus will make you all the pasta you could ever want!” He ran off again, laughing. Ryan counted to ten to see if something would happen, then followed. He turned back once or twice expecting sans to just be behind him.

He didn’t walk far before meeting up with the taller brother again. “My brother started a sock collection recently.” Papyrus told him uninvited. “How saddening. Sometime I wonder what he would do without such a cool guy taking care of him.”

Instead of questioning why he brought up the subject, he told the skeleton, “You both seem like you’d be pretty lost without each other.”

“Hey! Thank you? Anyway, you were taking a long time to arrive, so I decided to improve this next puzzle.” He gestured to his left. “I arranged the snow to look more like my face. Unfortunately the snow froze to the ground. Now the solution is different! And, as usual, my lazy brother is nowhere around. I suppose what I’m saying is… Worry not, human. I, The Great Papyrus, will solve this conundrum! Then we can both proceed. Meanwhile feel free to try the puzzle yourself. I’ll try not to give away the answer.”

Papyrus stood back from the puzzle and seemed to be examining it, mumbling to himself as he did. Despite his boasting, Ryan guessed he did not know the answer to his own puzzle.

He took in that which the skeleton gestured to. In between piles of snow were colored tiles with blue ‘x’s scrawled on them. A sign to the side said: turn all the ‘x’s to ‘o’s. The path beyond was blocked by a tall wall of spikes. He considered the puzzle for a moment. It seemed like another that would be better suited for a video game, where one would be limited to a specific path by the mechanics of such. However, once pressed, the buttons could easily be stepped over as well as the piles of snow which barely reached his knee. Ryan had not seen the like since his first time in the catacombs and had wondered if it were a feature unique to the location before that moment. It took Ryan little more than a minute to set all the tiles and the row of spikes that stopped their advance retreated into the frozen ground.

“Wow, you solved it!” Papyrus exclaimed who had been watching both him and the puzzle with hand to chin for the entire time. Whenever Ryan had glanced in his direction he had nodded like he approved of Ryan’s movements; as he in fact did know the answer and was watching a student taking a test. “And you did it without my help. Incredible!” The skeleton then seemed to reconsider. “Hold a moment! I believe you cheated. You weren’t supposed to step over the barriers.”

Ryan shrugged. “You never told me I couldn’t.”

The skeleton seemed to reconsider again. “You’re right. I’m impressed, human. You must care about puzzles almost as much as I do. Well, I’m sure you’ll love the next puzzle then. It might even be too easy for you.” Once more, the skeleton ran off laughing to himself.

He noticed then, that **sans** was standing just on the other side of where the spikes had been. Had he been there the whole time?

“ **good job on solving that one so quickly** ” **sans** complimented as Ryan stepped over the spike plates. “ **you didn’t even need my help. which is great, ‘cause i love doing absolutely nothing** ” He winked.

“You two both seem to have a warped sense of difficulty.” Ryan informed him.

“ **or maybe you just don’t give yourself enough credit. either way, you’re doing well. so smile** ”

Ryan decided right then that he liked the skeleton a little less. He hated when people told him to smile. “You know, I’m running into a lot of those sentries you said I wouldn’t have to worry about.”

“ **then i guess you’re not very lucky** ” sans told him. “ **besides, you’re still standing, so i must have been right. you had nothing to worry about** ”

“Why do I get the feeling this is all somehow part of your plan?”

“ **kid, I am not that clever, believe me** ” The skeleton followed after his brother and soon after Ryan followed suit.

They were not that far away. They stood at the end of a narrow cliff overlooking a river-worn ravine, on the opposite side from him. A narrow bridge connected the sides.

“Hey, it’s the human!” Papyrus said as if he had not seen him but minutes ago. “You’re gonna love this puzzle!” He went on. “It was made by the great Doctor Alphys. You see these tiles?” Ryan looked down at the ground between him and the brothers. A subdivided square of tiles, several different shades of gray, lay near a rectangular tower that Papyrus was standing next to. “Once I throw this switch, they will begin to change color. Each color has a different function. Red tiles are impassable. You cannot walk on them. Yellow tiles are electric. They will electrocute you. Green tiles are alarm tiles. If you step on them, you will have to fight a monster. Orange tiles are orange-scented. They will make you smell delicious! Blue tiles are water tiles. Swim through them if you like, but if you smell like oranges the piranhas will bite you. Also if a blue tile is next to a yellow tile, the water will also zap you.” Ryan was already overwhelmed at this point, but the skeleton went on. “Purple tiles are slippery. You will slide to the next tile. However, the slippery soap smells like lemons. Which piranhas do not like. Purple and blue are ok. Finally, pink tiles. They don’t do anything. Step on them all you like. How was that? Understand?”

Ryan’s head spun, already forgetting what Papyrus had told him. “Um, could you repeat that?”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll be fine. There is one last thing. This puzzle is entirely random. When I pull this switch, it will make a puzzle that has never been seen before! Not even I will know the solution. Get ready!”

The skeleton threw the switch on the box and the square on the ground lit up. Each tile shifted colors, slowly at first but picking up speed. Ryan could only remember half of what Papyrus had said, mostly the parts that should prevent him from getting hurt. He was impressed actually, more than anything. This seemed like something half way difficult and dangerous. He had played along with this game long enough that he would see this through, even if this puzzle actually gave him trouble.

The tiles were now changing color faster than Ryan could keep track of. He clenched his hands in determination. The tiles stopped. Two thirds of the square was red with a path of solid pink down the middle. Ryan fell to the ground roaring in laughter. Out of the corner of his tear filled eye, Ryan saw Papyrus dizzily spin away from sight.

When he got hold of himself again, Ryan stood up and strutted across the path of tiles. He went up to **sans**. Instead of discussing the irony of what just happened, though, it seemed his mind was on a different subject. “ **that spaghetti from earlier, you know, it wasn’t too bad for my brother. since he started cooking lessons, he’s been improving quite a lot. i bet if he keeps it up, next year he’ll even make something edible** ”

“What makes you bring that up?”

He shrugged, “ **sometimes you’re minds in weird places, right?** ”

“I guess.” A thought occurred to him. “Hey, that wasn’t your doing somehow, was it?” He gestured to the puzzle.

“ **no, but that was pretty funny** ” The skeleton glanced at the square before shaking his head. “ **anyway, see you up ahead** ” And he walked off.

Now on the other side of the ravine, the trees thickened once more. He noticed that Papyrus’s trail was starting to become part of a trail that looked like it was used fairly regularly. The snow was compacted down and a bit darker than it had been elsewhere. Perhaps he was finally getting close to the end of this. The trail brought him to another sentry outpost before he realized it and could find a way to circle around. But the thought vanished when he saw what else filled the area. There was a large number of columns of snow, some of them going straight up, some leaning over greatly, others twisting into loops, all of them ending abruptly. On the ground next to them were large snow dog heads looking half squished or broken. There must have been at least twenty of them and they all dwarfed Ryan in size. Standing near one of them was the dog knight from before. It had its hands on the pillar of snow and seemed to be frozen. Even its tongue which was sticking out of its mouth did not move. It just stared at the snow intently. Ryan was content to let it be this time, at this point wanting to avoid any and all unnecessary conflict. It did not seem to notice him, and it did seem busy.

Leaning against the far side of the outpost, a monster that looked like a cow dressed for a disco said as he passed, “That dog considers himself an artist, but doesn’t ever know what to create.” The monster caught him by surprise, but he was able to hide it quickly. He couldn’t decide whether he was being too jumpy or was being too trusting of these monsters. He figured it was a little of both.

Regaining himself, Ryan said to the monster, “Heh, I know that feeling…” He joined the cow in staring at the dog by the outpost for the moment but it still did not move at all.

“Then all of the sudden it came running over here and building up these columns of snow try to make a snow dog. But as he went it just kept getting more excited and the neck would get longer and longer until it toppled over.”

“I see that. You think it’d learn its lesson after twenty of the same thing happening.”

“Well, in his case, it probably doesn’t help that his brain is the size of a piece of kibble.” The monster seemed to actually notice him for the first time. “Haven’t seen you around before. You from the capital?”

“Yeah.” Ryan lied quickly.

“So what brings you to this neck of the woods?” The monster turned away from the outpost and extended a hand to shake, which Ryan did.

“I have no idea anymore.” He said with a sigh, putting his hand back in his pocket.

“Yeah, I get it. This isn’t the greatest place to be, but we’re content with it. It grows on you, you’ll see.”

Ryan nodded. “Hey did you see a skeleton pass through here? Tall, weird outfit, Nyeh heh heh?”

“What, you mean Papyrus? Yeah, he just went by looking like he had one too many at Grillby's, which would be a first for him.” The monster seemed to want to laugh at the thought then grew serious. “I don’t know what business someone from the capital could have with them, but I’d steer clear if I were you. They’re an odd bunch, those skeletons.”

“Too late for that…” Ryan said more to himself than anyone then added a thank you to the monster and continued on his way.

As he went on, the path started to look more and more defined. Ryan gazed up over the trees and thought he could just make out the wall of the dome not too far off. He had no idea where he was in relation to where he started but, hopefully, he was close to where he needed to be going. The sound of a tree rustling brought his focus back to in front of him.

What Ryan first thought was the Snowdrake from earlier appeared from behind a tree. But then he noticed the differences. This one was quite a bit larger and was more green than blue. It was also wearing sunglasses, for whatever reason. “Hey you!” It shouted at Ryan when it saw him. The monster had seemed to be looking to get away from something, but now its full attention was on him. Walking towards him, it demanded, “What do you think you’re doing stalking around my woods?”

Ryan was about to answer, but then more rustling came from between the trees and they both turned towards it. Out of the trees popped the same strange, lumpy monster he had seen before. At the sight of it, the shaded Snowdrake groaned. “You don’t understand,” it was saying as if picking an earlier conversation; its voice as nasally as its breathing, “I really need to go home. My mom will, like, kill me.”

“Then go!” The drake shouted at the creature, Ryan seemingly forgotten. However it just continued to stand there. “Well?”

“I’m cold.” It said meekly.

“No one cares! If you have to go, then go! Neither I, or whoever that guy is,” - it gestured to Ryan with a wing - “or anyone else in this forest has the means or desire to ‘give you a ride.’”

The monster continued to just stand there, awkwardly. It’s audible breathing was quite loud in the quiet forest. “Geez, someone’s rude…”

The Snowdrake got as close to the other monster as it dared and gave it a look fierce enough to make Ryan think twice about getting on the wrong side of the monster’s temper. “Go. Away.” It said slowly.

Finally, the monster did, walking back into the trees looking back after every step and seeming to want to add something more, but a growl from the drake kept him silent. When he was out of sight, the Snowdrake sighed.

Ryan, walked up to the monster, unsure if any of its anger would translate to him, “What was that about?” He asked it.

“Jerry.” He said as if that explained everything.

“Jerry?”

“Yes, Jerry.” The drake seemed unwilling to go into any further detail on the matter. “So who are you and what are you doing out here?”

“I’m Ryan, and I’m following two skeletons that may or may not be completely insane into ‘puzzles’ of unexplainable difficulty in an effort to justify me leaving the comfort of my home today.”

“Chill.” The drake nodded although it was decisively not chill. Regardless, the answer got rid of the monsters suspicion of him. “Hey, you happen to see my younger brother? He… ran away. I’ve been searching around the woods all day.”

“Does he look a lot like you?”

“Yes.”

“Then, yes I have.” He point back behind him. “Somewhere back there, though it was a while ago now. He fell out of a tree and flew off before I could help him or even saying anything to him. He seemed alright, though, if a little scared.”

“Oh, well, thanks for trying… You sure you don’t know where he went?”

“I barely know where I am right now.” Ryan told it frankly. “Sorry.”

The news did not make the drake happy and he wished that he had tried harder to find the monster. “Well, if you see him again. Tell him his family’s worried about him and try to get him to go back, will you?”

“Of course.”

“Thanks.” The Snowdrake continued down the path back the direction Ryan had come, trying to see behind every tree to check if his brother was there.

A little ways on, the path split off down one of the cliff sides. It looked not as well-used as the main path, but curiosity got the better of him. After a short but steep climb he found **sans** leaning against the wall of the cliff and looking out over the forest below. The cliff dropped a good couple hundred feet below them and afforded the best view of the forest he had seen so far. The trees covered hill after hill, vanishing into the darkness. He was closer now to one of the larger clearings he had seen before and saw that what he thought was a house poking up from the trees truly was. It was well away from any of the forest and from where he was Ryan could see lights in the windows as well as smoke from a chimney. A shadowy figure was walking back and forth in front of it. It was too far away for him to make out anything more than that. Maybe that was the Snowdrakes’ home, Ryan thought.

“ **what’s up?** ” The skeleton asked him.

“Not much. Your brother go this way?” Ryan continued to look out over the forest, only half paying attention to sans.

“ **no he went back that way** ” The skeleton pointed back the way Ryan had come.

“So what’s this way then?” Ryan asked him looking down the path. It quickly turned into the cliff not far from where they were standing. The path looked like it was also made deliberately.

**sans** shrugged. “ **nothing** ”

“Really?”

“ **really** ”

“Then why are you here?”

“ **i like the view** ”

The skeleton had a point, but still. “I’m gonna look over there.” He told **sans**.

“ **be my guest** ”

Ryan did just that. Keeping an eye on **sans** until he rounded the corner. The rock of the cliff had been carved out to form a tunnel about half a foot taller than him. From the entrance, Ryan saw a faint glow coming from deeper inside. The passage widened as he approached the light. It opened up into a rather large room. The light was coming from groups of mushrooms on the ground. The far wall was a door flanked by small trees that looked like they were covered in garbage. He went up to the door and knocked. There was no answer. He tried the door. It did not even budge.

He was about to give up when he saw the trees next to the door start to move. It should not have surprised him that the trees moved. He had met living rocks, bouncy balls, mold, but for some reason his first thought was that something was messing with his perception. And not only did they move, but they talked as well. “Damn kids.” They grumbled. “They have no respect what so ever.” The trees then resolved themselves from the rest of the cave wall. Ryan could now make out the reason they were so small was because they were attached to what looked like a deer, only its eyes were large black saucers and its mouth was sideways, opening and closing like a giant insect’s mandibles filled with teeth.

The trees served as the deer monster’s antlers. And it seemed to be trying to shake all of the junk out of them. But, try as it might, they stayed put. “Need a hand?” Ryan offered.

The monster turned his attention to Ryan and gave him an angry look. “Oh, you think I like having these things hanging off of me? No!”

“Well, stay put a moment.” Ryan approached the monster cautiously and started to take the ‘decorations’ off its antlers. There was what Ryan first thought was a candy cane, but it was clearly labeled down the side ‘I use this to walk.’ There was also a book, a small, white dog and several laurels.

Once it was clear the monster gave a sigh of relief. “That’s a weight off my neck, literally. Thank you stranger. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get back to my peace and quiet!” The monster practically chased him out of the cave. And he almost slammed into **sans** who was now standing right next to the entrance.

“ **see? nothing** ” He said as Ryan jumped out of the way.

“There’s a door. That’s something.” Ryan told him, he decided to not mention the other monster.

“ **what, that? that’s been there forever. it doesn’t go anywhere that i know about. probably not even a real door** ”

Ryan could tell he wanted him to inquire about the door, though he knew not his motive behind it. He decided it was probably to play some kind of joke on him. He would not give him the pleasure. “You’re probably right,” he told **sans** before he left him at the bottom of the cliff and went back to the path.

When the tree line broke again, he realized he had made it to the edge of the dome. The rock rose hundreds of feet over the wide clearing that jutted out of it that was, itself, hundreds of feet above the rest of the forest. A long bridge connected this clearing with the next which led to a path that wound itself higher up the wall to where Ryan could see a number of buildings. “That must be it.” Ryan said to himself.

Where he stood, the ground was covered in snow poffs. The presence of a small dog house over to the side gave him a pretty good idea as to why. There was no dog this time though. He made his way towards the bridge where one of the snow poffs blocked the way.

As he was about to step over it, it wiggled. Out of the far end what looked like a white tail popped out, wagging furiously. The snow continued to shake itself until it fell away revealing another small, white dog. It barked.

“Oh.” Ryan said and he leaned down to pet it. But before he could, the dog’s head began to rise out of the snow until it was taller than him. It was in full plate, like the dog he had seen twice before, but this dog was much, much larger. Before it, it held a spear that had a face almost identical to the one the dog wore on it. “Oh…”

The dog did not attack him; it just stood there waiting. Ryan knew he had no chance of fighting this thing, but he needed to get past it. He was not sure how though. But, hey, it’s a dog. “Hey, boy, you wanna play?” The dog’s head instantly snapped towards Ryan. It started wagging its tail hard enough to kick up snow. Ryan leaned down and dug in the snow until he found a stick. He showed it to the dog whose eyes followed it intently. “Go get it!” And Ryan threw the stick in the direction he had come. The dog knight was after it instantly. More importantly, it was no longer blocking the way.

Ryan began to leave but barely made it two steps before he heard a bark that made him turn. The dog was sprinting back to him carrying an entire tree that was twice its size. He reached Ryan and dropped the tree at his feet barking again. The dog then went over to Ryan and looked at him expectantly. Ryan carefully reached out and pet its head. “Good boy.” He told it. The dog then knocked Ryan to the ground and rested its head on his chest. Ryan continued to pet it, laughing while he did. Soon, the dog fell asleep on his lap. Ryan inched his way out from underneath it and moved on.

He had reached the bridge. This time, it was made mainly from rope with wooden planks spanning the length of it. The bridge was worn, but looked sturdy. There was also quite the drop below it. Above, there was a large frozen waterfall. The frosted spikes looked like they had been that way for a long time. He did not stop to stare however, he was too close to slow now. Not known for being afraid of heights, he made his way across the bridge. As he neared the other side, He saw that sans and Papyrus were waiting for him.

“Human!” Papyrus exclaimed. “This is your final and most dangerous challenge! Behold! The Gauntlet of Deadly Terror!” From above and below the bridge came a variety of instruments of pain and death. From swinging blades and mauls to cannons and… another dog? Papyrus looked at Ryan with a victorious smile while Ryan was trying to figure out when he had somehow descended into Sen’s Fortress. “When I say the word, it will fully activate. Cannons will fire, spikes will swing, blades will slice; each part will swing violently up and down. Only the tiniest chance of victory will remain. Are you ready? Because I am about to do it!”

Ryan braced himself, ready to jump out of the way of whatever swung at him first and not really sure what to do after that. When, after a moment, nothing happened, he thought about running back to the other side of the bridge.

“ **well? what’s the hold up?** ” **sans** asked his brother.

“Hold up? What hold up? I’m… I’m about to activate it now!” Still, nothing happened.

“ **that, uh, doesn’t look very activated** ”

“Well… maybe… this challenge… may be too easy for the human to deal with. Yeah, we can’t use this one. I am a skeleton with standards! My puzzles are very fair and my traps are expertly cooked. But this method is too direct. No class at all! Away it goes!” And just like that, Ryan’s certain death retreated. He smiled at the skeleton. “What are you looking at? This was another decisive victory for Papyrus!” And he ran away laughing again.

**sans** remained, looking after his brother in confusion. “Is that it?” Ryan asked him as he stepped off the bridge.

The skeleton shook his head. “ **i don’t know what my brother’s going to do now** ” He turned to him. “ **it seems like you’ve managed to convince my brother of something, but i’m not sure what** ”

“Is this not how you expected this to turn out?” Ryan asked him.

“ **not even close** ”

“Then how were you hoping this would go?”

**sans** shrugged. “ **hardly matters now. i have no idea what’s going on anymore. this has gone well beyond what i thought would happen. so, you’re on your own now, kid** ” He followed after his brother. “ **if you make it to the other side of town, i’ll give you those directions we talked about** ” The skeleton finished. He walked under a large sign Ryan had somehow missed before then. Written in colorful letters and covered in lights, the sign said,

_Welcome to Snowdin._


	8. Bonetrousle

The town of Snowdin was a quaint little place. A short walk up the winding path overlooking the cliff after stepping under the sign led him to a wide, snow covered street flanked on both sides by wooden buildings. None were more than two stories high and none had the look of wear brought to wood by being exposed to the elements for long periods of time. In fact, all of the buildings looked as if they could have been built just that morning. And yet, despite that, the town had air of permanence to it, as if it had always been there and always would be.

The street was empty, the hour still early, but several of the buildings had smoke coming out of stone chimneys lending the impression of liveliness even in the silence of the night. Over the tops of the buildings, Ryan could see the edge of the forest hugging the town. A few trees were scattered amongst the buildings. In a way, it reminded Ryan of the ruins. It had that feeling of a place all monsters needed: a place to gather and share memories and make new ones. The snow of the street was hard packed and well-traveled, only adding to the feeling.

Ryan could see the other side of the town from where he stood. The street ran right through the middle of it, and though he could see the roofs of more buildings behind the ones closest to him, the majority of the town seemed to lie on this one road. Where the buildings ended, snowy trees took over once more, lining the road straight to the wall of the dome that rose high above him. **sans** was waiting for him somewhere over there, if he kept to his word. With his help, perhaps he could still make it to where he needed to be without doing any further damage.

As he walked down the empty street, he saw that many of the buildings had signs on them. There was a shop next to an inn, a library, a building that looked like a restaurant with the painted sign ‘Grillby’s’ above the entrance, and more besides. The windows to all of them were dark. Many were also unmarked. Ryan guessed those were probably homes. In the center of the town was a square where the road branched off in both directions leading to more homes and buildings. In the center of the square was a lone tree. Around it was several boxes, some wrapped as presents and others bare cardboard, tapped closed and unlabeled. He briefly wondered what they could be for. Past the square, he went by several more homes until finally, with an equal measure of relief and reluctance, he reached the other side of the small village.

As the town shrunk from view behind him and the forest grew thick around him once more, a fog began to rise from a stream not far from the trail. By the time Snowdin had disappeared from sight, so had everything else. The fog grew thick enough that he could not see his hand in front of his face. And with the fog came a foreboding tension that seemed to push on Ryan harder than the fog. He realized he had slowed in his steps and picked up his pace again. The fog did not break as he walked further, he just tried to keep as straight as he possibly could and hope he did not run face first into a tree.

He paused as he thought he heard the sound of footsteps out of sync with his own. He listened intently for a long minute and was beginning to think it was his imagination again when he thought he saw a shadow in the fog. He squinted at the figure in vain, the fog had not yet thinned and he could not make out any more detail other than it looked humanoid. “Sans?” Ryan shouted into the fog, voicing his first thought.

“Human.” It was Papyrus’s voice that answered him. “Allow me to tell you about some complex feelings.” The skeleton sounded grim, as if he were about to deliver bad news. “Feelings like the joy of finding another pasta lover, the admiration for another’s puzzle-solving skills, the desire to have a cool, smart person think _you_ are cool. These feelings…” The skeleton paused and his voice went back to its normal booming, confident tone. “They must be exactly what you’re feeling right now!”

Ryan had actually bought it for a moment. He should have known the monster incapable of being humble. At least outwardly. He went on. “I can hardly imagine what it must be like to feel that way. After all, I am very great. I don’t ever wonder what having lots of friends is like. I pity you, lonely human. Worry not; you shall be lonely no longer! I, The Great Papyrus, will be your…” He paused, trailing off at the end. Ryan could hear snow crunch underfoot. “No… No, this is all wrong! I can’t be your friend. You are a human. I must capture you. Then, I can fulfill my lifelong dream. Powerful, popular, prestigious! That’s Papyrus: the newest member of the Royal Guard!” The fog dissolved almost instantly, revealing Papyrus standing across from him in the middle of the path. Bones spun around the monster as if they had a mind of their own. The skeleton had a look of strong resolve as he looked Ryan in the eye. Before Ryan could say a word, Papyrus raised his arm and with the gesture the bones flew at him.

Whether by luck or something else, Ryan managed to duck under the bones that flew for his head. He shot back up and, with barely a thought, pulled the flame in his clothes to his will. He split the flame into eight and made them orbit around him as the skeleton had, ready to be used as the moment called. “I guess we will have to fight.” Ryan said under his breath. He had never fought with magic before and had hoped he never would, but the look on the skeletons face told him it was unavoidable.

Papyrus shook his head. “That won’t do.” The monster made motions as if it was stretching, rotating his arm in his shoulder before pressing it across his chest, though why he did made no sense to Ryan. “It looks like I’ll have to use my fabled blue attack already.”

“Papyrus I’m sure we can talk about this.” Ryan tried, but the monster did not answer him. Ryan took a step back and tried to make more flames in order to defend himself from whatever came next. He couldn’t, he could barely focus.

The skeleton raised its hand into the air and a pale blue light appeared above it. It grew in intensity with every second. In fear more than anything else, Ryan hurled one of the fire balls at it, but it just went straight through. And still it grew brighter. Ryan covered his eyes with his arms to block out the light and tried to brace himself for the impending pain or death or whatever that would cause.

He was not expecting it to just go away.

Blinking away after images, Ryan dropped his arms to see that nothing happened. The forest was still intact and so was he. Papyrus still stood across from him, but instead of and arm towards the sky, the skeleton was pointing at him. “See? You’re blue now. That’s my attack.”

The monster was pointing at his chest, he realized, and looked down. Even through the two thick shirts he was wearing, he could now see the glow of the soul embedded in his chest, and he could see that it was not red as it had been, but a dark blue. “What the?” Then, he noticed something else, something off. He had not felt it at first but it was quickly becoming and itch that demanded be scratched. His fire was gone. He tried to pull more, but nothing happened. Then the realization hit home. He had gotten used to the feeling of magic buzzing through the air across his skin that he stopped noticing it. But that feeling was gone now. How was that possible?

Papyrus laughed. It was a playful laugh, more than anything else, but to Ryan he heard a tinge of hysteria within it before he realized that he was laughing along as well and the hysteria was his. “As you can see, my magic changes the rules a bit.” Papyrus explained. “Starting with the fact that you can’t use magic.” Ryan felt fear carry his feet away from the monster before he realized he even wanted to run away. His only defense gone, he knew he had no hope in this fight. He barely managed to turn in the opposite direction before he felt himself being tugged towards the monster. He slid backwards in the snow against his will and was turned to face the monster once more. “I also have some influence over your movements.” Papyrus went on. “So running won’t be an option for you.”

Ryan felt his fear turn to anger and he charged at the monster faster than he thought himself capable. He raised his arm in an effort to swing at the skeleton, but his blow only bet a wall of bone. It barely registered to him that the bone cracked beneath his punch. The wall of bone spilt itself apart and shifted form to wrap it itself around Ryan’s limbs, forcing him to his knees. Papyrus looked down at him frightened and confused as Ryan fought against his bonds. “What did you do to me?” Ryan practically screamed.

Papyrus raised his hands half in a gesture to defend himself and half in gesture to calm Ryan down. “Fear not, human.” The quiver in his voice took away from the words. “It is not a permanent spell and will do you no harm in the long run.” He motioned as if swallowing and started again with some measure of the confidence he had before. “Besides, it is merely the setup for the battle I have planned between us. You need not worry, human. As I have said, I am fair with my puzzles. You can expect no tricks or underhanded tactics from me.

For a long moment, the two simply started at each other. An hour ago, Ryan would have thought the skeleton incapable of doing anything close to the realm of dangerous or threatening, but now he was not so sure. Still, Ryan stopped struggling against the bones that held him and they faded away. Once he was sure Ryan would not try to attack him directly again, the fear melted from his face and he gestured around him. “What you are about to witness is my ultimate puzzle. I have spent years on its perfection. It is insurmountable, inescapable, in...! In…” The skeleton dropped his eyes as he lost where he was going.

“Inconceivable?” Ryan encouraged.

“That too! It’s difficultly cannot be described. You will have no hope of being able to solve it! You will be captured, human. And then I will achieve all of my hopes and dreams.” Arms still out stretched, the skeleton took a step towards him. “Are you ready?”

The ground shook. Bones the size of his finger to the height of buildings shot out of the ground collecting together to form tall walls that pressed in around them. More bones flew into the air and formed a roof that closed off the meager light of the snowy forest. Ryan heard in the darkness more walls slam into place both near and far. He stayed still, trying to not fall over, until the noise stopped and the ground stilled. Light filled the room once more, seeming to come from the bones themselves. It was not a large room, but Ryan doubted this was all there was to it. Once it was lit, Papyrus came into the room through one of the walls as if it were not there at all. “Welcome to Papyrus’s Maze of… Well, I haven’t really named it yet… Moving on! As you attempt to navigate this maze, you will be faced with increasingly difficult obstacles. You will try in vain to overcome these obstacles while you try to escape the maze until you inevitably except your defeat.” With another wave of his hand, a section of the bones of one wall separated to form an opening just tall enough for Ryan to walk through. It led to a hallway made of the same walls of randomly assorted bones. The snow covered ground still made up the floor. When the bones were still once more Papyrus walked back toward the wall he came in by, saying over his shoulder, “You may begin,” before disappearing to some other part of the maze.

Ryan hesitated, uncertain of what lay ahead for him. He was having flashbacks to his first night after falling down and not for the first time that night was he wishing he had reconsidered the choices that had let to this moment. But apparently the skeleton did not like him standing and doing nothing because the wall to his back slid towards him and pushed him through the opening which sealed itself back up once he was through. Figuring similar waited for him if he were to keep standing still, he began his way through the maze.

He started with a hand along the wall, remembering from somewhere that it, in some way, guaranteed finding the way out of a maze, but he quickly stopped. He could hear the walls shift as he moved, somewhere close or far off, he couldn’t tell. But made him realize this would not be as simple as just finding a way out. Just what did the skeleton have in store for him?

The question was answered as he rounded the next corner. Across the length of the hallway, Ryan watched as a wall of bone sprung up from the snow about as high as his waist and come speeding towards him. It did not slow down as it got closer and Ryan jumped over the hurtle to prevent from being seriously hurt, reacting at the last second and almost lost his balance during the landing.

“Hmm… It seems you have good reflexes, human.” Papyrus’s voice echoed through the maze. “That is good. You will need them.”

Another wall of bone materialized down the hall, this time on one of the walls. It came at him just as fast as the other one had, which was too fast for comfort and Ryan barely managed to dodge to the side as it flew passed him. The dodge allowed him to see that, from behind him, a third hurdle was coming at him along the other wall. He barely managed to spin out of the way as it went past.

He fought for breath, his heart raced. He looked back and forth, up and down the length of the hallway for anymore obstacles but everything was blessedly still. So it seemed the skeleton really was getting serious. And where exactly was **sans**?

He had to keep moving, he knew that. Standing still would just invite more of those walls to come. They went fast enough that he was certain he would be killed if one struck him, or it would at least break something. All he had to do was stay alive until Papyrus tired himself out. He knew enough about monsters and magic to know the skeleton could not keep this up forever.

Rounding another corner and trying not to run and crash into something on accident, he was just in time to see more hurtles rise from the ground. They followed each other back to back with just enough space to land and jump again in between them. A half a dozen in a row came at him before they started to come from behind him as well and he had to dodge those as well. Some were low to the ground and easy to avoid, others were not, barely providing Ryan with enough room to fit himself through the gaps.

It was not particularly difficult, but constant jumping and dodging coupled with the stress of the slightest mistake being potentially horrible made it very exhausting very quickly. When the wave of hurtles finally ended Ryan could feel sweat beading on his forehead and making his shirt cling to him. He was glad, at that point, that he was on the monster’s good side. He would hate to see what he was capable of if he was angry.

“I see you are still a puzzle wiz.” Papyrus’s voice echoed once more. “So how about this!” More walls came, the pattern shifting this time. They came from all four of the walls now. He looked down at them in despair. He was already close to exhaustion, and the skeleton sounded nowhere near done with him. He almost groaned, too tired to care that the obstacles were already coming towards him. He half collapsed against the wall closest to him. Darkness crept in on his vision “Oh?” Papyrus’s voice echoed. “Are you ready to accept defeat already?” He could not believe everything had gone so wrong so fast. How could he have thought this would be easy? He was a fool. He was not some hero from a story, he was just a screw-up. _I’m going to save your son._ He was going to die here. That was his destiny, his fate. _I’m going to save Asriel._ He must be hallucinating in some way. He could see Toriel standing in front of him as if they were both still beneath the house in the ruins. The look of pain and anger on her face after he had told her what he intended was there as he remembered it. But there was something else there too, something he did not notice at the time. Beneath the anger and the sadness was hope, hope that he really could do what he said he would. The image of Toriel’s hope became fixed in his mind and a fire coursed through his veins.

No.

He was not sure if he had just thought the word or said it out loud. The air rung with the power of that refusal either way and with it, Ryan’s exhaustion was burned from his bones. He clenched his fists as he turned back to the string of obstacles coming his way. He would not die. He would not be captured. He had made a promise and he would see it done. And not even death would stop him.

The walls suddenly seemed to be moving slower; the pattern easier to predict. Energy filled him and he jumped he first hurtle as if he weighed nothing. He jumped too high, he realized. The next wall came from the ceiling and he would not fall fast enough to be able to avoid it. Unsure as to how, he managed to spin his weight and kick off the wall, flipping to land on his feet on the ground. He straightened as another pair of walls from either side went past him simultaneously. This was becoming fun.

Nothing seemed to diminish the energy he felt. The more obstacles he dodged, the easier it became. Was the skeleton running out of steam? At this point, he hoped not. He spun out of the way of another that came from the side and ducked one more from above. He had his eyes closed, order memorized, and at this point was simply showing off. He dodged the next wall at his feet with a back handspring, timing it perfectly with the next wall that came from every side to make an opening just wide enough for him to squeeze though so that he slipped past to land on his feet. He spun and opened his eyes to see the Papyrus standing in the hallway with him.

The skeleton did not look tired. He merely looked skeptical. Ryan smiled. If that was the case, and if he saw the amount of ease he was having with what he threw at him now, maybe the monster would ramp things up a bit. Ryan pointed at the skeleton as if he were holding a pair of guns at him. “You’re pretty good.” He told the monster before Papyrus could say anything, goading him.

Papyrus’s look of skepticism deepened. “Pretty… good?” And then something seemed to dawn on him. An instant later, the monster looked like he was ready to run away from Ryan. “What?” He exclaimed. “Fl-flirting? So you finally reveal your true feelings.”

“No, I was just-”

“Well, I suppose this can only be expected. To fall for someone as great as I is all but an inevitability. But I’ll have you know I’m a skeleton with very high standards.” Papyrus waved his arms and more walls came at Ryan. He dodged them all with ease – was the skeleton even trying anymore? – and was practically by the monster’s side before he realized it himself.

“I’m pretty okay at making pasta.” He said jokingly. The monster’s look of shock returned.

“Oh no! You’re meeting all of my standards!” The skeleton regained himself quickly, though. He cleared his throat. “I guess this means I’ll have to go on a date with you.”

This time Ryan took a step back. “I think you’re jumping a bit ahead of yourself there.”

“You’re right.” The skeleton nodded. “I still need to capture you first.” The wall behind Papyrus rushed up and he disappeared behind it. A moment later, the wall next Ryan opened up to allow him to move on.

Like the others, as he entered the attacks began to come in waves, but they were no harder than they had been before. The skeleton must be running out of ideas. He dodged them all with casual ease and when the final obstacle passed him by, he heard Papyrus’s voice once more form everywhere at once. “It seems you’re better than I thought. If you keep this up, I’ll have to use my special attack. Trust me you don’t want to see that, so you should just accept your inevitable defeat.”

Ryan chuckled. He felt very far from defeat. If anything, he had the monster on the ropes in a way. And he was starting to get bored. Perhaps if he could find him, he could end this a bit sooner. As the attacks came this time he began to move forward with them as he dodged using the ones that came from behind him to propel him forward. He rounded the corner to the next hall and more attacks came. Where could the skeleton be hiding?

“I can almost taste my future popularity!” Papyrus was saying. “Papyrus: Head of the royal guard!” Ryan came to a branch in the maze, he went left. “Papyrus: unparalleled spaghettore! Undyne will be so proud of me!” He dodged more attacks as the skeleton went on. “The king will trim a hedge in the shape of my smile! My brother will… well, he won’t change very much. I’ll have lots of admirers, but… Will anyone like me as sincerely as you?” Ryan gave pause. Was the monster still on about that? He would have to be sure to correct that little misunderstanding. He stepped to the side of another wall. “Someone like you is really rare. And dating might be kind of fun… After you’re captured and sent away…” The attacks stopped for a moment. “Argh, who cares? Give up! Give up or I’ll use my special attack!” The attacks resumed, more ferociously this time, but still nowhere near anything that intimidated Ryan. “I’m not kidding. I will use it very soon!” He must be close, he realized. The skeleton was becoming desperate. “This is your last chance before I use my special attack.”

As he dodged the last attack, Ryan came upon a doorway that led to a room much larger than those he had been in so far. The ceiling of bone was a good three stories above his head. Near the top, Papyrus stood on a balcony of sorts looking down at Ryan from his lofty perch. “Impressive, human, that you were able to make it this far.” The skeleton told him; he sounded much more serious than he had a moment ago. “But you have only delayed the inevitable.” He raised his arms dramatically once more. “Behold my special attack.”

Like in the pit of a coliseum, a section of one of the walls rumbled open to reveal another room. Ryan readied himself for anything, still rational enough to be wary in his sense of invincibility. The rumbling came to a stop and in the side room was… nothing? No, not nothing. In the center of the room, practically blending into the snow and bone was a small, white dog nibbling on something between its paws. Ryan turned his head to the skeleton, eyebrow raised.

“What the heck? That’s my special attack!” The balcony Papyrus was standing on floated down to the ground and he stepped off of it to confront the animal. The skeleton tried to grab the bone from the dog, but it dodged the monster’s gloved hand with ease, scampering off to one of the corners of the room. “Hey, you stupid dog! Do you hear me? Stop munching on that bone!” Papyrus chased the dog for several laps around the room, but skeleton came no closer to his bone than he had the first try. The dog seemed to grow bored. Unperturbed by the laws of reality, the dog phased through the wall much the same way Papyrus did and was gone. “Hey what do you think you are doing? Come back here with my special attack!” Papyrus pounded on the wall in frustration. A moment later he turned back to Ryan as if he just remembered he was there. “Oh well. I’ll just have to use a really cool regular attack.”

The room shifted. The small offshoot they were in closed in on itself. Ryan jumped back; Papyrus casually walked back to his floating bone platform. The skeleton ascended back to his place at the top of the chamber and looked down at Ryan. Ryan stared back up at the monster in equal measure, certain he could handle whatever he threw at him.

The ground rumbled; the walls seemed to lose their definition for a moment. And then countless bones flew at him from all directions. Some were small and lone, spinning through the air like Frisbee. Others formed walls and hurdles as they had before, forcing him to move. In a room the size of nine others, the walls came at him in sets of six or more, funneling him down a path like some sort of platformer. Other bones were as thick as he was tall, shooting out of opposite sides of the room to collide with each other in the middle with a crash loud enough to make his ears ring.

Somehow, Ryan managed to avoid everything. Whenever anything came close the world seemed to slow to a crawl and he stepped aside from the bone with ease. He jumped into the air to avoid a wall rushing at him almost as tall as him. When it reached him, he kicked off of the top of it to avoid the crushing force to the giant bones. He looked back down at the ground and felt worry for the first time since this whole thing had begun. Since his jump, the ground had become a solid pit of bone spikes, sharp enough to kill even if he landed lightly, which he certainly would not from that height. He had gotten himself into quite the trap, hitting the ground was unavoidable, and he could not fly.

He was surprised by how calm he felt about it. There was no fear of death in his mind, just cold realization and calculated analysis of everything around him to try to find a way to avoid impalement. It seemed futile, though. There was nothing for him to land on but spikes.

Unless…

The massive columns of bone still collided with each other above his head and another began to sprout its way out of the wall near where he was falling. It was time to do something risky. He adjusted he weight so he would be in the direct line of the bone and as it came towards him, he braced himself. The impact hurt less than he expected, but he was still pinned to the bone with how fast it was moving and its other half was approaching fast. Gathering all of his strength, he kicked himself up and over the bones with barely a fraction of time left before they collided. He landed on top of them, the vibration of the impact threatening to throw him off before it settled.

Not wasting a moment, Ryan sprang into the air and landed on the next highest set of pillars just as they hit each other. He did this over and over, going higher and higher until he was just beneath Papyrus’s platform. He smiled; the skeleton looked worried, and rightfully so. Papyrus seemed to redouble his efforts. More bones spun through the air, the columns stopped to be replaced by thinner spikes that tried to stab at him. Ryan still managed to dodge everything. He sprung off of one of the spikes and grabbed another as it went for his head. He threw his weight to spin around the bar of bone and propel himself the final distance to Papyrus’s platform. He landed on his feet with a casualness that said he could do all of that a hundred times over if he wanted. And he still felt like he probably could.

For a moment the skeleton just looked at him in shock. And then it was gone, replaced by the mask of confidence he had had on the rest of night. “Well,” he started. The room around them shattered like glass. The bones crumbled away and turned to mist before they hit the ground, revealing the twilight of the forest once more. The platform they stood on lowered itself slowly to the ground before shattering as well. “It’s clear you can’t defeat me!” The skeleton went on once they were on the ground again. “I can see you shaking in your boots.” The monster’s own knees did not look very sturdy at the moment.

Ryan almost laughed but managed to keep it behind a smile. “Yeah? Is that right?”

“Yes. Therefore I, The Great Papyrus, elect to grant you pity! I will spare you, human. Now is your chance to accept my mercy!”

The smile slipped from Ryan’s face. And he stared at the skeleton with a grim seriousness. They were already close to one another, but Ryan closed the distance by another step. The skeleton seemed to take a step back without actually moving, shrinking away from Ryan as if he held some sort of magnetic repulsion. He took another step so he was face to face with the monster. The look of morose seriousness still lending to the air’s chill. “So what you’re saying is…” Ryan tapped something against Papyrus’s chest. The skeleton looked down. It was a bone; one of the attacks he had just used. It shattered as the monster became aware of it again. “You’re throwing me a bone?” Ryan smiled and winked and Papyrus who looked like he was about to cry.

“Nyoo ho ho…” He laughed sullenly. “I can’t even stop someone as weak and not funny as you. Undyne’s going to be so disappointed in me. I’ll never join the Royal Guard and my friend quantity will remain stagnant.”

Ryan sighed at put a hand on the skeleton’s shoulder. “Listen,” he started, “this has been one crazy night for me. And I’m probably dumb for saying this but, in hindsight, I had fun. And you got to tell me how you did all of that at some point.” The skeleton looked up at him and he went on. “You and your brother seem like cool dudes, if a bit confusing. And you got your hearts in the right place, figuratively of course.”

“What are you saying?” The skeleton interrupted.

“I’m saying,” he was not sure what he was saying. He felt lightheaded and thought it had something to do with how energetic he had felt during that whole thing. He shook it off before continuing. “I’m saying that I would be honored to be your friend, Papyrus.” This was going far from what he had originally intended, but the monster deserved something out of all of this. He was denying the skeleton his dream, and that was not fair. It was least he could do.

Papyrus’s face lit up. “Really? You want to be friends with me? Well then, I guess… I guess I can make an allowance for you. Wowie! We haven’t even had our first date and I’ve already managed to hit the friend zone!”

Ryan’s seriousness returned for a moment. “Don’t ever say that again.”

The skeleton acknowledged him before going on. “Who knew that all I needed to make pals was to give them awful puzzles and then fight them? You taught me a lot, human. I hereby grant you permission to pass through. And I’ll give you directions to the surface.”

Ryan smiled. It looked like this whole thing was turning out for the best after all. “Thanks… that’d be…” Ryan suddenly felt exhausted. His vision blurred. He could not remember what he was going to say, nor did he remember lying down in the snow. Something told him he should be trying to get up while something else tried to tell him he should be worried. But he could not figure out why. He was so tired. Before he knew it, everything had gone black.


	9. Snowdin Town

Ryan dreamed of running along the top of a high castle overlooking a vast city of stone. The artificial light in the sky burned as bright as the sun and the dome above his head had been cast to a light blue to mimic the daytime sky. Small, wispy clouds could be seen in places; the dome large enough to develop its own weather patterns. As he ran, a wind blew at his face making him blink. He was running from someone, he knew, but he was not scared. He was happy; they were playing. It was a fond memory he was remembering, but as he looked over his shoulder and saw who it was that was chasing him, he knew the memory was not his own.

 

Ryan woke up not in the snow, but in an unfamiliar room. His eyes were heavy and it was an effort just open them and take in the ceiling above him. His head throbbed. He tried to lift himself up, but he could barely even turn his head. So instead he took in what he could. He was on a green couch and was covered by a worn, gray blanket. The walls were a faded burgundy and there was a window above the couch out of which he could just make out the tops of snow covered trees. Shifting his head as much as he could, he saw **sans** sitting on an end table near his feet reading a book. Ryan tried to ask the skeleton where he was, but it came out as a groan.

The noise turned **sans** from his reading. “ **finally awake?** ” He asked when he saw Ryan’s eyes were open. “ **you had us worried for a bit** ” He walked out of Ryan’s line of sight and came back with a glass of water that he pressed to Ryan’s lips. He did not realize just how thirsty he was until he started drinking.

Once the glass was empty and was pulled away from him, he tried to speak again. “What happened?” He managed. He still sounded like he had been sick a week.

**sans** put the glass down on the table. “ **from what my brother told me, i’d say you had a classic case of using too much magic** ”

“Too much magic?” Ryan did not know such a thing was possible. From what he had learned from Toriel, it should not be. “Are you sure?”

“ **well, what do you remember?** ” **sans** asked in return.

Ryan tried to push through the fog on his mind and remember just what had happened. “I was fighting Papyrus and I suddenly felt this… power, like I could never be tired no matter what I did.”

**sans** nodded. “ **just as i thought. you’re lucky to be alive, kid. if you were a monster you certainly wouldn’t be** ”

“What do you mean?” Ryan tried again to push himself up again, but was just as unsuccessful.

“ **one of the first thing monsters learn when it comes to magic: never draw energy from yourself except to shape the rest. from the story i heard, that was about all you were doing for the better part of an hour. it’s no wonder you collapsed from that** ”

Ryan did not really understand. He thought that was how magic was supposed to work. He still had quite a bit to learn, it seemed. “How long was I out?” He asked next.

“ **pretty much all night and half the day besides** ” The skeleton told him. As if to confirm this fact, Ryan’s stomach growled. He tried to stand again. “ **no, you need to rest** ” The skeleton told him.

Ryan shook his head. “I can’t,” he said, struggling to sit up despite the monster trying to push him back down. “I need to go. I can’t stay here. I have to-”

“ **whatever you have to do, you can’t do it like this** ” **sans** interrupted.

“Fear not, human!” Papyrus said as he entered from another room. He wore a chef’s hat and held a steaming plate in his hand. “I, The Great, Master Chef Papyrus, am here with the cure to your ails.” He pushed Ryan to a sitting position and placed the plate on his lap. Unsurprisingly, it held spaghetti.

As hungry as he was, the smell rising with the steam was not at all appetizing. “Thanks, Papyrus, but I don’t think-”

Before he could finished a fork full of the pasta was shoved into his mouth. Papyrus’s creation tasted… odd. The taste certainly did not bring pasta to mind. He could not figure out what he did to make it taste like it did, let alone figure out what he must have done wrong. He forced himself to swallow. As inedible as it was, the magic that made food work differently down here held true for it all the same. Ryan felt some of his energy come back almost instantly. “Thank you.” Ryan told him which got a smile from the skeleton.

“Delicious, isn’t it? Here, have some more.” Papyrus loaded the fork once more but **sans** intercepted before it could reach Ryan’s mouth again.

“ **ryan’s a pretty skinny guy. i’m sure that was enough** ” He told his brother.

“Really? If you say so.” Papyrus turned back toward where he came. “I will prepare desert!” He exclaimed. He was not in the room a second before Ryan could see smoke and heard an alarm go off.

“ **you wanna go and get some real food?** ” **sans** asked him, seeming content to ignore his house being burned down.

“Please.” Ryan got up without difficulty this time, though it did make his head throb a bit more, and the two left the house to Papyrus and his ‘cooking.’

Ryan and **sans** walked over to the building with the sign ‘Grillby’s’ above the door. It was just as much a restaurant as Ryan had guessed. The place had an early twentieth century feel to it. The walls were painted a dark brown and the solid wood floor showed age and wear despite the rest of the town, and indeed the building itself, looking brand new. There was a row of velvet booths along the one wall and tables of various size scattered throughout the rest. Many of the tables were occupied both with monsters he did not recognize and several that he did including most of the canine sentries he had managed to allude in the woods last night. He thought about trying to hide somehow, but they paid him no mind. They all looked to be too absorbed in games of cards or in drinks. The monsters sitting in the booths looked even more lost in their own worlds, though; most stared at nothing. All but one, a straw colored rabbit monster not unlike the one Ryan had seen in the forest had its eyes fixed on him, its mouth slightly open. The monster quickly dropped its eyes back to its drink when he caught it staring.

On the other side of the restaurant was a bar where a figure made purely out of tuxedo and fire stood cleaning a glass in its hands. **sans** walked up to the bar and sat down; Ryan followed him. The skeleton got a couple greetings from the other patrons that he returned curtly. When Ryan sat down next to **sans** , the living flame stood in front of him and seemed to stare at him. He could not really tell; there was nothing resembling eyes behind the square-framed glasses on the monster’s face. “Grillbz said he’d offer you a glass of water, but he doesn’t touch the stuff.” Said a duck monster sitting on the other side of the bar. Ryan looked over to the monster and it winked at him.

He returned his gaze to Grillby, but before he could come up with a response, **sans** popped in, “ **grillby, two regulars and whatever else the kid wants** ”

When the flame turned back to him, he added, “Do you have coffee?”

Grillby seemed to nod and then disappeared into another room behind the counter. Ryan looked around him nervously. “ **relax** ” **sans** told him, “ **anyone in here won’t remember you by dinner** ”

“I’m just not good in public.” He told the skeleton. “At all.”

Grillby returned with two plates filled with burger and fries that he set in front of the two of them and then set down a mug next to Ryan. Ryan picked up the mug and inhaled the aroma greedily. “ **so you feeling better?** ” **sans** asked once Grillby had gone back to cleaning a glass at the other side of the bar.

“You will never understand just how ecstatic I am that this place knows what coffee is.” He took a small sip to avoid burning his whole mouth off and then went to the food. He was two thirds of the way through the large plate before the skeleton spoke again.

“ **thank you. for telling my brother you’d be his friend** ” It was not he had expected the skeleton to start with, but Ryan just shrugged and kept eating, his exhaustion melting away like it never existed to begin with. “ **you probably already figured this out, but, among other things, i was testing you in the woods last night. to see if you had any… malicious intents. but you seem alright** ” Ryan nodded uncertain himself which part he was agreeing with. “ **so, ryan, what are you going to do now?** ”

Ryan reached for another fry on his plate and found that it was empty. **sans** pushed his own plate in front of him, the skeleton had not even touched it and Ryan barely even hesitated. He thought over the monster’s question for a moment, thought about what had happened to him last night and what he knew lay ahead of him. “I don’t know.” He said finally. “But I have to keep going.”

“ **you’re not trying to get out of here?** ” Ryan shook his head. “ **then you’d be the only one in the underground who isn’t** ”

Ryan turned away from his food. “You guys really don’t like this place, do you?”

“ **do you like being trapped underground?** ” **sans** asked him in return.

Ryan leaned back on his stool and stared up at the ceiling, trying to imagine the stone high above them. “I never thought about it as being trapped. It certainly never felt like it. What little I’ve seen of the Underground so far has seemed absolutely massive. All of it a mystery to be explored, places that not even monsters have been to for hundreds of years. And there’s still so much I haven’t seen.” Ryan looked back down at his reflection in the coffee. “On the surface, most of the world was closed off to me by gates and walls that I couldn’t even see. In this world, the possibilities seem truly endless. If I had my way, I’d stay here forever.”

“ **then why don’t you?** ” The skeleton said like it was the simplest thing in the world.

“I can’t.” Ryan told him just as simply.

“ **why not?** ”

“Because it would be selfish.”

It did not answer sans’s questions but the skeleton dropped the subject either way, seeing that it was not something Ryan wanted to talk about. “ **i don’t really get it, kid** ”

“You don’t have to get it. Odds are we’ll never see each other again.”

“ **i wouldn’t be so sure about that** ” For a moment, the two stared at each other. Then **sans** went on. “ **kid, if you want my advice, stay here. you’re right about one thing: it’s not as bad down here as everyone makes it out to be, even if you don’t like the cold. you seem like the kind of guy that would fit in here just fine. keep going and i can’t guarantee the continued flow of air through your lungs** ”

“I can’t stay here, Sans.” Ryan said again. His coffee was finished. Grillby came and filled up the mug before he even fully registered the fact.

The skeleton stood up from the bar and reached up to put a hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “ **take some time to think about it** ” He said. “ **i’ll be around if you need me** ” And then to Grillby, “ **grillbz, the kid still looks hungry. give ‘em whatever else he wants and put it on my tab** ”

Ryan looked down at the two empty plates in front of him before looking back over his shoulder, but **sans** was already gone. He thought he saw the straw-colored rabbit’s head whip around again, but let it lie. He turned back to the bar where Grillby had already put another plate in front of him. His gaze seemed to linger on him just a moment longer this time. Whether it was to say something he could not make out or simply stare at him quizzically, he did not know.

He ate the food just as fast as the first two plates and put a few coins on the table despite what the skeleton said about covering the bill before walking back out into the chill air of Snowdin.

He took in the buzz of activity that filled the street during the daytime. Fur covered monsters walked up and down and between the houses talking to neighbors, carrying cloth and boxes and baskets of food. Every face had a smile on it, no one seemed rushed; it was all so peaceful.

His eye was drawn to the square to his right where a few monsters crouched under the lone pine tree in its center which was now covered with colorful strings of lights, knick knacks, and glittery garlands. A star crowned the top. He almost could not believe it was there. “You like it?” A voice said, snapping him back to reality. Without even realizing it, he came to be standing just below the tree. The monster that had addressed him was one of the ones beneath. It was a large polar bear in an orange track jacket. The monster had been arranging boxes wrapped in colorful paper near the trunk of the tree and was now looking up at him with a warm smile. “Some awful teens tormented a local monster by decorating its tree-like horns a year back.” It went on as it stood up, brushing snow off its knees. “So we started giving that monster presents to make it feel better. Some of the townsfolk started giving gifts to each other as well. Now it’s sort of become a tradition to put presents underneath a decorated tree and then exchange them the next day.”

The monster walked over to stare up at its handiwork with Ryan who said, “I think some teens may still be doing something like that. I helped a monster not too long ago with a similar problem.”

The bear sighed. “Darn kids. Well, it was nice of you to help them, at least.”

Ryan shrugged. “‘Tis the season.” He told the monster, not expecting it to get it.

“‘Tis the season? I like that.” The bear gave him another smile then went back under the tree to rearrange some of the presents.

Ryan had come to like that one trait of monsters. They said their piece, listened to yours if you had one, and then went on with their business. No drawn out formalities, social dances, no reading too much in to every word.

“Yo!” said another voice that made Ryan turn. Looking up at him was what looked like a lizard kid wearing a yellow and brown striped shirt with no arms that Ryan could see. The monster seemed strangely out of place amongst all of the bears and rabbits and dogs that walked the streets. “You’re a kid too, right?” The kid asked him. “I can tell ‘cause you’re wearing a striped shirt.”

Ryan looked down at himself. Stripes had been about all he had worn since he woke up under the mountain. The two tailors he had talked to in the ruins would hear nothing of it when he had asked them for something different. If that was the symbolism behind it, someone had some explaining to do. But that was for another time. Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, he knelt down to the monster kid. “Eh, I’d say I’m more somewhere in between.” He told the kid.

The kid looked disappointed. “Oh, I thought you were… There aren’t that many kids in this town, so there isn’t anyone to play with when I’m not at school…”

“Well, I can still be your friend.”

“No! You’re old!” And the kid ran off.

Ryan chuckled to himself as he straightened. But his good mood was washed away as he looked towards the end of the town and memories of what had happened came back to the front of his thoughts. He realized then just how in over his head he was. He had barely managed to get past Papyrus. As he was, he had no hope of making it any further. Perhaps **sans** was right and he should stay here. But what consequences would his hesitation bring?

He shivered and noticed the spell he had made to keep warm was still undone. He redid it quickly without thinking, realizing just a moment too late that he was standing in the middle of a street full of monsters. “Hey,” a voice he did not recognize called out to him. He did not want to turn to face it; he thought it best to run. Had the monster seen the light is his chest?

Slowly, he swung around. Leaning against the wall of Grillby’s was another bear monster, this time brown, in a similar orange track jacket to the other. The monster was smiling at him just as all the rest were smiling and he knew he was safe. “You’re a new face.” The monster went on. “You from the capital?”

“Something like that.” Ryan lied again, putting on his best face.

“Just visiting or looking for more permanent residence to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city?”

“Just visiting.” He reassured the monster, though it seemed unconvinced.

The monster closed its eyes and nodded. “Mmhmm. That’s what most of them say at first. They just can’t resist the charm of this place in the end though.”

Ryan looked around the main street of the small town again. It seemed like everyone knew everyone here. They all waved at each other and said hello as they passed, even if their arms were full. They stopped to help one another, and offer assistance in the future. “It is quite peaceful here.” He said.

The monster nodded. “We’ve got a pretty simple system of running things around here too. No mayor or government body of any kind, aside from the king. Whenever there’s trouble, a skeleton will tell a fish lady and she’ll come and beat them up. That way, when the king does come, he can have a smile on his face too. Thaaaat’s politics!”

“If only everything were solved so simply.” Ryan jokingly agreed with him. They both laughed.

“See, you get it. You’re alright in my book stranger. Catch you around some other time.” Another monster had arrived from out the diner and the two walked off together, talking about what to do with the rest of their day.

Left alone to his thoughts, Ryan’s good cheer quickly faded once more and with it, his energy. It seemed he really had not fully recovered from the fight yet and more food would not fix that, only sleep. He remembered seeing an inn near where he had first entered the town at started walking down the street.

He returned the smiles and the waves he received as he walked. No one else approached him, though, which he was mildly thankful for. He hated lying about what he was, it had gotten him enough trouble already, but he was not about to go around announcing he was a human either. Eventually he made it back to the building with _Inn_ written over the door. It was a two story building that had several chimneys sticking out of the roof, though only one had smoke coming out of it at the time. The second floor cleared the tops of the trees giving the patrons who rented rooms a good view of the forest over the cliff. It seemed like the perfect place to spend the night.

Wiping his feet off near the door as he entered, Ryan took in the lobby. It was as plain as the outside but that hardly took away from the charm. A red couch by the door sat against one wall across from a TV. On the over side, behind a long counter, stood two monsters, a cream colored rabbit whose ears made her as tall as him and a smaller, white rabbit whose head barely poked over the counter. Behind them, covering most of the back wall was a painting of a large castle towering over an even larger city. He knew it must have been the capital, but there was sun and clouds in the sky. He remembered something about a dream he had, but the rabbit behind the counter broke him out of his thoughts as she greeted him. “Welcome to the Snowed Inn.” She said warmly. “How can I help you?”

Ryan returned the monster’s smile with one of his own and said, “I was wondering if you had any rooms available.”

“Of course. It’s only eighty gold a night.”

He thought about the money he had spent buying ice cream from the rabbit in the forest and the tip he had left at Grillby’s and realized he would come up short. “Darn, I don’t have nearly that much.” He said under his breath.

He did not intend for the woman to hear him, but she was a rabbit. “Another monster fleeing the crowds of the capital down on his luck?” She asked him.

“You could say that.” He left out the part where she would be wrong.

“We get a few of those every so often.” She went on. “Normally I’d say ‘sorry’ and ‘be on your way,’ but” -she looked him up and down- “you look like the trustworthy type. I’ll give you a room free. Just for one night though. And I’ll expect you come back and pay me one day. Don’t think I’ll forget.”

Ryan was taken aback. “That’s very nice of you. Thanks.”

The monster shook her head. “No need. Generosity’s good for business. Isn’t that right, sweetie?” She turned towards the smaller rabbit who nodded in response to the question. “He can’t wait to take place off of his mother’s hands, though I keep insisting it will be a long time before I’m ready to give it up. I’ve put my soul into this place, and I’ve done it under the philosophy that good will is always paid back tenfold and ill will paid back one hundred.”

“That’s a good way to look at things.” Ryan said. And the monster nodded.

Moments later he had a room key in hand and was walking up the stairs behind the front desk up to his room. The hallway ran right through the center of the second floor and was lined on either side by several numbered doors. He found the one that matched the number on the key and opened the door.

The room was on the small side, which was fine by him. It had a bed with a nightstand next to it and a desk along the opposite wall. The window over the bed gave him as good of a view of the forest as he thought it would. He stood by the widow a few moments before sitting down on the bed and pulling out his phone. He had intended to plug it in to charge but, strangely enough after nearly a day it still said one hundred percent. He shrugged it off and put in his ear buds to listen to music until his exhaustion put him to sleep. His last thoughts had been of planning his next move.

Ryan awoke to the entire room rumbling beneath him. He pulled out his headphones to find that the rumble was a part of even more noise. It sounded like snoring, the loudest snore he had ever heard. He looked at the time on his phone; it had barely been an hour. He put his head phones back in and turned up the volume on his music hoping to drown out the noise, but it did little. He decided to wait it out, but after twenty minutes the noise showed no signs of stopping and there was certainly no hope of being able to fall asleep.

The monsters in the lobby seemed surprised to see him so soon. “That was quick.” The rabbit commented. “You didn’t trash the place, did you?” She giggled at her own joke.

“No, I just remembered that I had been offered a place to stay and it would be rude not to take them up on it, especially if it costs you business.” Ryan explained. There was some truth to it, he supposed. He did not want to complain after receiving the room for free.

She seemed disappointed. “It’s really no trouble.” She assured him. “Was there something wrong with the room?”

Ryan shook his head perhaps just a bit too quickly. “No, everything was fine. And I promise I’ll still pay you back for it.”

“There’s no need. You were hardly up there long enough to justify it.”

“Still, I insist.”

“Oh well. I’ll see you again then?”

“Definitely.”

Leaving the inn, Ryan decided he would try to see if he could spend the night at the skeletons’ house. After the conversation he and **sans** had, they’d probably let him stay for one night. _Just for one night_ , he told himself, _to get some rest and hopefully figure things out._ Then he would be in his way tomorrow with a plan.

As he approached, he noticed Papyrus standing out front. He was standing back and looking up at his home with pride. Ryan saw why. The house was covered with strings of colorful lights just as the tree in the square was. The monster must have just finished. He waved to the skeleton.

And he went right into it. “So you came back to have a date with me.” Papyrus said once he was within earshot. “You must be really serious about this…”

“No, actually I…” Ryan tried, but it was hopeless.

“I’ll have to take you someplace really special.” The monster scratched at his chin as he looked off to nowhere in thought. Ryan tried to get him to listen, but nothing worked. “A place I like to spend a lot of my time.” He went on. “Follow me.”

“No, wait, I was wondering if I could…” But Papyrus was already starting to walk away. Ryan knew where this was going; he was about to get swept up in something he would not like and the only option was to go along with it. Steeling himself, he followed after the skeleton.

Papyrus was walking, swiftly, down Snowdin’s main street. At first, Ryan thought they would be going back to Grillby’s, but right before they reached it, Papyrus turned back around. They kept walking until they were all the way back to his house. “Here we are!” He exclaimed and entered the front door.

For a brief instant, Ryan thought about going back to the inn, justifying that he could learn to sleep through anything, but he shook off the notion and followed the skeleton inside. “Welcome to scenic My House.” Papyrus said once the door closed behind him. “Or is this welcome back? Does dragging your unconscious body in here count as a welcome? Well, I didn’t say it then, so this is the first. Welcome!” He gestured around himself dramatically. “Feel free to look around.”

Ryan took a moment to get a good look at the house for the first time. Though, there was not much more to it than he had seen when he first woke up. Aside from the couch, there was a TV that was large enough to make him question what monster’s even watched on television. There was a table pushed against one wall. It was bare but for a rock on a dinner plate.

“That’s my brother’s pet rock.” Papyrus chimed in when he saw Ryan staring at the stone. “He always forgets to feed it. As usual I have to take responsibility…” Looking closer, he saw that the rock was covered in sprinkles. Ryan sighed.

He walked over to the end table next to the couch, seeing that the book **sans** had been reading was still there. Curious, he picked it up and read the cover. It said ‘Joke Book’ across the front. He opened it, inside was the cover of another book that said ‘Quantum Physics’ across the front. He opened that, another cover with ‘Joke Book’ across the front. He opened that. Another quantum physics book. He opened that. Another joke book. He opened that. There was a note on the front of the cover of another book; it said “stop.” He closed the book and put it down.

There was not much more than that. Stairs went up to a second floor where he guessed the brother’s rooms would be and a doorway by the TV. “Our kitchen’s that way.” Papyrus filled in, pointing to the doorway. “Although, I’m the only one that cooks around here. My brother usually goes out to eat, but recently he tried ‘baking’ something. It was like a quiche, but filled with a sugary, non-egg substance. But that’s not really important.”

Ryan figured he may as well give it a look. It was surprisingly not charred after all of the noise earlier and looked like an ordinary kitchen. It was on the small side and was fully furnished. “Why is your sink so high?” He asked. What he originally thought was a pantry was almost as tall as him. But there was definitely a faucet sticking out of the top.

“Impressed? I increased the height of my sink. Now I can fit more bones under it. Take a look-see.” Ryan opened the door; inside was only one bone being nibbled on by a small, white dog. “What?” Papyrus exclaimed. The dog looked up in response to the sudden noise, and then bolted for the front door. “Catch that meddling canine! Curses!” The dog had escaped. Ryan heard the sound of a door open above them followed by the sound of a trombone. Papyrus ran out of the kitchen and yelled to the floor above, “Sans! Stop plaguing my life with incidental music!” Ryan could not help but laugh at that.

“Well, if you’re done looking around, we can go up to my room and do… whatever it is when people date…”

Ryan’s laughter stopped. “Alright, hold up.” He put a hand on the skeleton’s shoulder. “You’re a cool guy, Papyrus. I’ve only known you and your brother a short time, but I’ve gone along with your antics and learned that it’s usually worth it in the end to do so. But this is where I put my foot down. I will not go on a date with you. Sorry, you’re just not my type.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

The skeleton looked disappointed for a moment then sighed in relief. “That was a close one.” He said which issued a confused look from Ryan. “I was just going along with this because I thought that was how you felt, human. After our battle and what you said, and those compliments. I thought you were absolutely enthralled by me. I thought that, if I humored you, it would be enough or maybe something would come of it, but this is probably for the best.” They both nodded. “Fear not human! You will find someone one day that is as cool as me! Well maybe not as cool. But I’ll help you settle for second best.” They both laughed. “Well, I have business to tend to. Sentry duties and the like. Feel free to stay here if you like.”

That was one matter settled, he supposed. With Papyrus was gone, Ryan sat down on the couch with an exhaustion that seemed to be becoming permanent the more time he spent around the two brothers. “ **so i see you’re back already** ” **sans** said from next to the couch. He had not seen him come down. “ **have you decided to take me up on my offer? beats being dead** ”

Ryan shook his head. “I have to go, I just… I don’t think I’m ready…”

“ **you’re not ready. whatever it is you’re doing, if you collapsed from magic use by just jumping around a lot, then you have no chance of making it very far. past here, the royal guard patrol regularly. and unlike the monsters here, they do know what humans look like. you’d also likely have to deal with undyne. let me tell you, you have no hope of living through that encounter as you are now** ”

“Undyne? I’ve heard you guys say that name before. Who are they?”

“ **undyne is the head of the king’s guard. and she regularly patrols in waterfall, the area east of snowdin, since she lives around there. she’s also had a grudge against humans for a long time** ”

Ryan sat in silent thought. Thankfully **sans** did not list any more reasons why he should stay behind. He could not, he knew it. But he also knew that he truly was not prepared for what lay ahead. What could he do?

“I’ll stay for the night, at least.” Ryan said eventually. “Try to think of a plan. But just tonight.”

**sans** shrugged. “ **sure, kid, whatever you say** ” He got up from the couch and went towards the door. “ **i got work. don’t trash the place while i’m gone** ” He winked before leaving Ryan in the house alone.

Ryan pulled his phone out of his pocket once, still fully charged, and dialed a number before putting it to his ear. “Hey, Toriel, it’s Ryan.” He said to the empty line after it rang a few times. “I’m still alive, you’ll be happy to hear. I haven’t gotten myself into trouble yet. Well, not a lot of trouble. I made some new friends out of it at least, I think. I didn’t make it as far as I would have liked, but I’m not stopping yet.” He paused as the words finally sunk in for him. “I’m not stopping yet…” he said again, barely a whisper.

“I learned something about magic today; it may turn out to be what I’d been missing this whole time. I don’t know yet. I’ll have to experiment a bit, but…”


	10. Premonition

Ryan ran through the dark tunnel endlessly. He pleaded through huffing breaths to anyone that may be listening that the way he was going be the right way out. He was lost; he had been so for a long time, but that was not why he ran. He was also being chased. Every time he thought he was safe, had managed to slip past their notice, they were there. And so he ran.

His chest burned; his legs were numb. He knew that if he stopped he would collapse and it would spell his end. So he kept pumping limp arms and willing his legs to lift, trying not to trip and fall on the uneven rock of the tunnel. Running proved all he could do. He was powerless against his hunter. He had known that from the start. Yet still, he had challenged them. His hunter played with their advantage. They did not just want to see him dead, they wanted to see him destroyed. His hunter wanted him to know that there was no hope in their wake. They were content to keep him on a leash and lead him towards not only his death, but his ruin.

But he was certain he managed to slip away this time. He had seen no sign of his hunter for a long time. However, every turn through the dim and narrow tunnels ate away at that confidence. Every branching path and cavern looked the same as every other and his assurance quickly turned back into fear. Where was **sans**? Where was anyone? In truth, it was not a surprise. His life was nothing but tales of abandonment. If they did not leave him, he left them.

He should have just stayed with Toriel. He should have just been content with his own happiness. He imagined himself still reading books by the fireplace of his old home, the motherly monster in the kitchen preparing yet another phenomenal meal, humming to herself as she often did. The fantasy shattered as his foot hit a rock hidden by the shadows and he spun to the ground. He struggled to stand, but his limbs would not cooperate. Tears streamed down his face, and he yelled at his body to move. Not for the first time, his hysteric fear was becoming the only thing that kept him alive.

Spots danced in his vision from his fall. He waited until they cleared before trying to stand once more. Then he noticed it. The tunnel seemed to be lighter than all the rest and hope filled him. Though his body still struggled against him, he managed to get back to his feet. The difference was subtle, if not for the fact that he had been wandering through a constant darkness for what felt like days he would not have noticed. He could not run now; pain shot up his right leg as he tried to put weight on it. Limping with one hand against the wall, he went towards the source of the light. It led him to a large cavern. Much of the floor had fallen away into oblivion to form a gaping maw into the earth and Ryan shrunk back from its edge as he peered over it. Where there was ground, it formed a bridge spanning the gap to another tunnel. And before the other end, his greatest fear stood to block the way. His hunter had him trapped at last. "Human" the figure said, "You have evaded me long enough. It is time to die."

Ryan tried to turn and run back the way he came, but was useless. His injured leg gave out from under him before he had taken a step and he fell to the ground. He did not try to get back up this time. Hopelessness kept him still. Tears streamed down his face anew. This was the end. He simply prayed it would be quick.

"No more running." The figure continued as he heard it step toward him. "Face your death with some courage, human." The hunter grabbed him by his neck and lifted him off the ground. The figure held him out in front of them as if he were weightless. His exhaustion was making darkness already begin to creep in on the edges of his vision. Raising its arm, a spear materialized in the hunter's hand. Ryan tried to scream, tried to say anything, but he could only stare at the armored creature pleadingly. The figure showed no hesitation, however. "Thank you." It said before thrusting the spear towards Ryan. The last thing he heard was laughter and a familiar voice that said _I win again, brother._

 

Ryan bolted upright. He looked around. He was still in **sans** 's and Papyrus's house. On their couch, not in some dark cavern. It was just a nightmare. Wiping cold sweat off his forehead, he grabbed a drink from the fridge and sat back down on the couch, trying to make sense of what that was. "It was almost like a warning…" He said to himself. His hands still shook in front of him. "Or maybe my fear's just getting the better of me…" He clenched his fist. "Yeah, must be." For a while, he tried to go back to sleep to no avail, images from the nightmare kept surfacing in his mind and caused his heart to race. So instead, he grabbed a candle he found in a drawer and practiced magic.

A few hours later, Ryan opened his eyes and jumped when he saw that **sans** was leaning the wall next to him. The monster could have been there all morning for all he knew. "Jeez, I didn't hear you come back." He told him.

" **well, i'd be surprised if you did** " He said back.

"One of these days you got to tell me how you do that, Sans."

" **i have no idea what you talking about** " The monster insisted. " **so, are you still leaving today?** "

He almost said yes immediately, but the images of his nightmare resurfaced again and he hesitated. Instead he asked, "How strong is Undyne?"

The skeleton shrugged. " **well, i've only seen her fight a few times. my bro would know better than me, but i'd say she's pretty strong** "

"Do you think there's any chance I'd be able to give her the slip? Or get past her if we happened to cross paths?"

**sans** thought for a moment before saying, " **you have no chance of getting past her, that's for sure. she knows everything that goes on in waterfall and knows the place inside out. some even say she can be everywhere at once** " The skeleton winked at his joke. " **as for getting into a fight with her, like i said yesterday, you have no chance the way you are now. but you have potential. if you were a bit better at magic, then maybe** "

"Then will you teach me?" Ryan stood up from his spot on the floor. He did his best to hide his desperation but was certain he failed.

The skeleton shook his head. " **sorry kid, but i'm not a very good teacher. you can ask my brother. i'm sure he'd be more than happy to help, but i don't know how far that will get you. otherwise, you're on your own. you're welcome to stay as long as you want though. as long as you can put up with my bad jokes and my brother's bad cooking** "

Ryan said nothing, not wanting to commit either way. He had very little luck on his own with magic thus far, and he agreed that Papyrus was probably a bad idea, but… Eventually **sans** just shrugged and went upstairs to his room. Ryan tried to go back to practicing, but his concentration was ruin. He decided to take a walk instead.

The hour was early enough still that very few monsters were out and about yet, so his stroll through Snowdin went largely undisturbed. He walked down to the bridge just below the town and sat in its center, staring out over the forest that stretched far below him. The trees followed the contour of them ground, forming a vista of rolling hills all rising to the center of the dome where an ancient stalagmite formed the mountain under the mountain. Ryan took out his phone and put on some music. The calmness brought back his concentration and he decided to try again.

He closed his eyes and focused on the buzzing feeling that leapt over his skin. With his hand out in front of him, he tried to extend that awareness to just above his palm. He began to gather the energy in his hand, shaping it with only the smallest amount of his own energy as he could manage. It took a while, but finally he had managed to collect what he thought would be enough for a small flame. He formed the image of a fire in his mind's eye and tried to will the magic into that shape. He tried to push the magic to fit its shape and form one property at a time, but it just seemed to eat at the energy he fed it, changing only slightly before returning to its original state. Eventually, he gave up. He let the energy go and opened his eyes. Sweat beaded on his forehead and he tired and, more importantly, hungry.

Ryan walked back to Grillby's trying to figure out what he was doing wrong. How did monsters make it look so easy? He was sure he had the process right that time, but at the rate it was going, he would eat up more energy than he normally would and it would take him forever just to make a fire large enough to burn a candle wick.

At the restaurant, he ate more than he had the day previous in an attempt to recover as quickly as possible. It earned him a few stares from the sparse number of patrons in that early. When he was done, Ryan asked Grillby how much it was but the monster shook his head and pushed away his offered coin. Before he could ask what was wrong, the duck monster from yesterday spoke up again. "Grillbz says Sans was in earlier and told him to put anything you ordered to eat on his tab until he said otherwise. Never knew the skeleton to be so nice to anyone. He must like you a lot." The fact raised questions in his mind. Just what was the skeleton trying to do? He thanked Grillby for the food and left.

Back at the skeletons' house, he took the candle he had found earlier, lit it the traditional way, and sat beside it on the floor. On his way back he had thought of a few more things he could try to get magic to work for him. He took the flame under his control using his own power – Toriel had told him that was always necessary – and held it above his palm. Gathering energy as before, he tried to use it to change the flame instead of using his own energy. It worked but the process was achingly slower; the magic seemed to resist his attempts to change it in any way. It certainly would not be practical in a fight. He was not even certain it was better than the alternative. He decided to try something else.

Cautiously he switched back to using his own energy to feed the flame. The process was instant as if he was neck deep in rapids and had finally decided to jump with the current instead of pushing against it. He made the flame rise until it was above his head and almost touching the ceiling. The distance made it no more difficult than if it were just over his palm. He brought it back down and sent it towards the kitchen. When Ryan guessed it was about ten feet away from him, he could feel it start to waver, the connection weakening. He pushed harder to maintain it but he could not be sure it was making a difference. The flame made it to the door under the sink before he felt it wink out of existence. He tried it again with the same result.

That was his limit of conscious control then, just under twenty feet with anything under ten taking little more effort than if it were right before him. He tried it the other way: taking things under his control that were not right in front of him. Ryan relit the candle and placed it across the room. Reaching out much like how he had pushed away the flame, he tried to touch the flame and tried to bind it to him, but he could not even feel it. He got closer, still nothing. He held his hand out so it was just over a foot away from the flame and still it would not come to him. Instead, Ryan watched the flame fly away from the candle towards the staircase to the upper floor. The flame flew to **sans** 's raised hand where he stood at the top of the stairs. " **having trouble?** " He asked once Ryan noticed his presence.

Ryan sighed to relieve some of his aggravation before answering. How did the skeleton make it look so easy? "No more so than usual." He told the monster. "I tried doing what you said yesterday to fix what I was doing wrong, by the way. It barely worked, let alone seemed like a better alternative."

**sans** let the fire die and shoved his hand into his pocket. " **show me** " He told Ryan as he walked down the stairs. The skeleton leaned against the wall and watched him. He question if the monster was just going to make fun of him. He had already told him he was not going to help. But after a moment, Ryan closed his eyes a focused. He barely had the energy gathered when **sans** told him to stop. " **what are you doing?** " he asked.

"Gathering energy?" Ryan told him, unsure what else the answer could be.

The skeleton shook his head. " **that should not take anywhere near that long. fire magic takes the bare minimum amount of energy to form so that it can be made quickly and changed to fit many purposes just as quickly** " Ryan remembered Toriel explaining fire magic to him in much the same way. She said it was why monster's usually learned fire magic first. " **my guess is that you're trying to grab enough energy for a decent sized flame off the bat, right?** " Ryan stayed silent. That was exactly what he had been trying. " **that will never work for anything. you always start small, as small as possible and build on top of that. it gets easier and faster the more you do it** "

So much for being a bad teacher. "Alright, but what about getting the spell to actually form? Every time I tried it just seemed to resist me."

The skeleton shook his head again. " **the only reason that would be the case is if you were hesitating. remember, energy moves fast – faster than anything. if you want to move it, you have to be just as quick. otherwise it's like trying to push the blade of a fan that's already spinning: too slow and you just swipe at air. if you want a spell to work, all of the information needs to be sent over at once, in an instant** "

Ryan was still skeptical. "Is that even possible?"

**sans** pushed himself off the wall and began to walk around the room. " **c'mon, you've seen the movies, right? how they always snap their fingers and it makes a fire? well, it really is that easy. try it** "

Willing to give anything a shot at that point, Ryan tried to push the doubt he felt about the idea out of his mind. He made himself believe that when he snapped his fingers it would make a fire. He focused on that thought: fire. Warm, orange; he pictured its shape, flickering in his mind's eyes.

His fingers clicked and the same jolt he felt the first night after he had fallen down went through his body. Over his hand, a spark of a flame burst into being before quickly dying out in the lack of energy to maintain it. Ryan almost laughed in joy. " **there you go** " **sans** commented. " **now you can wield magic almost as well as a newborn** "

Ryan ignored the skeleton's slight, oblivious to it in his delight. He snapped his fingers again and then again. Each time a tiny flame burst into existence. He did it over and over. At some point **sans** must have left, because when he stopped to eat, the monster was gone. He continued to practice well into evening. He practiced until he could form the flame without needing to snap his fingers and then practiced that well into the night. That night for the first time in weeks he went to sleep with a smile on his face.

 

Ryan awoke from the same nightmare he had had the night before of running through a dark cave to escape some unknown hunter. He brought a hand to his throat. It had been exactly the same as the night before. He looked at the clock on his phone. He had been asleep for seven hours. Why had it felt like days? There was no point dwelling on it, though. It was only a dream. He pushed it out of his mind. The act was much easier than it had been yesterday.

After he could no longer feel his pulse drumming in his ears and his heart trying to beat out of his chest, he emptied his mind and focused. The flame sprung into being almost instantly, but this time he caught it before it could sputter itself out. He smiled. The flame became three and he made them rotate around his hand and around each other. Even if it was unwise to do it for anything else, he could still control fire the way he was used to. He could do complex patterns spells with it for hours without feeling tired.

Satisfied that he had finally made progress with magic after so long, he went over to Grillby's again for breakfast. He felt a little bad that **sans** was paying for him. He was certain the gold he had saved up from his time in the ruins would have been enough for a few days of food. He would have to make it up to him somehow.

He made it back just in time to catch the skeleton returning himself. " **leaving today?** " The monster asked him casually. Ryan shook his head before he realized what that implied.

"I'm just starting to get the hang of magic. A few more days of practice, then I'll be ready." He justified.

**sans** just shrugged. " **whatever you say kid. you're welcome to stay as long as you need. just try not to make a mess** " The skeleton winked at him before heading upstairs to sleep.

Ryan decided to move his practice to the woods behind the house. The skeletons lived right on the outskirts of the town and he was certain he would be able to practice without disturbing anyone or drawing attention himself.

He had a million things he wanted to try and more ideas popped into his head every second. Ultimately, he decided it best to start with what would probably be easiest: figuring how to do what he had done while fighting Papyrus and testing out the limits of that power. But how had he done it? It came to him so easy the last time, like he had flipped on a switch that started some kind of electric motor. He tried to think back to what had happened. He had already been close to collapsing, certain he was done for, and then he remembered the resolve he felt when he decided to leave the ruins, the determination to fulfill his promise.

Ryan's hand clenched in a fist and he felt his pulse quicken. He suddenly felt alert, like he just drank an entire pot of coffee. He could see farther; able to pick out individual clumps of snow clinging to branches on the other side of a narrow stream. He could hear better; snippets of conversation drifted over from the town just under the point where he could make out the words. The forest had been silent a moment ago.

This was it. He was certain. The feeling was… extraordinary. He imagined it must be the power hero's in comic books feel. He felt truly invincible and capable of anything. He decided to test it. Crouching, he leapt up and grabbed one of the branches of a nearby tree almost twenty feet off the ground. He laughed to himself as he swung himself to stand on a lower branch and took in the view of the forest before flipping out of the tree to land on his feet without feeling the slightest shock. He looked down at himself. His soul was glowing bright enough to shine through both of his shirts. He would have given himself away instantly if anyone happened to walk by, but at that moment he did not care. What could anyone do against him like this? But he knew better now. Reluctantly, he let go of the feeling and it washed out of him like a cold breeze.

Instantly, he felt more drained than he had before. He felt like he had just climbed a twenty foot tree in actuality. His soul dimmed back to invisibility and he sighed in relief, deciding it would probably be better to practice something else instead.

Ryan returned just as the brothers were waking up. "Greetings, human." Papyrus greeted him. "And what has my good friend been up to today?"

"This and that." He answered vaguely. "Hey Papyrus, you doing anything tomorrow? I could use your help with something." He had hatched an idea while practicing, but he would need help with it.

The skeleton looked away awkwardly. "Well, you see. Tomorrow is the day I train with Undyne, you see. As much as I would like to help you, Undyne is not the kind of monster you try to reschedule with, or tell no to, or do anything that isn't what she says or wants, really. She's very good at throwing people onto cliffs that it is extraordinarily difficult to get back down from, you see."

"That's fine." Ryan assured the monster. Papyrus looked like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, afraid to tell no to either him or Undyne and afraid of the consequences of both. "Just let me know when you have some free time."

The skeleton recovered as he cleared his throat. "Of course, human. I have often wondered what it is like to "hang" with one's friends. I mean… specifically you, of course. I have "hung" with many of my friends before, but have yet to with you."

"Of course." Ryan smiled.

With one more apology, the skeleton went off to his sentry duty, leaving **sans** and Ryan alone. "You don't think he'll tell her about me, do you?" He asked the monster.

**sans** simply shrugged, doing little to rid Ryan of his doubts.

 

That night, he was able to recognize the nightmare for what it was while it was happening. He ran, blind and breathless, through the same tunnels he had before. He tried in vain to escape his hunter. Knowing what lay in wait for him did nothing to make him try to change it. He was not surprised when he found the hunter around the corner after chasing the light to the end of the tunnel. This he had waited for. Here he would try to change things. He took hold of his determination and let the feeling of invincibility wash over him as he charged at his hunter. Fire enveloped his hand as he pulled it back to strike. But when he swung, he hit nothing but air. Something hit him in the back of the neck and his head swam, his vision went back, and a hand caught him by the throat. "Enough of this." His hunter growled. And then something stabbed into his chest and the dream was washed away in a fire of pain.

He gasped as he sat upright on the couch, panting and sweating just as he had the two nights previously. He put a hand to his chest and was genuinely surprised to see it come away clean. He tried to calm himself, but it did not work. It had never gone that far before. He had always woken up before the blow landed. He could still feel the hand crushing his neck. Something against the wall next to the TV drew his mind away from the nightmare. As he got up from the couch he saw that it was a dirty sock with a string of sticky notes around it. The first was in an angular script that Ryan guessed was Papyrus's because it said, _Sans! Please pick up your sock!_ The second note simply said, _ok._

_Don't put it back down! Move it!_ The notes went on.

_ok._

_You moved it two inches! Move it to your room!_

_ok._

_And don't bring it back!_

_ok._

_It's still here!_

_didn't you just say not to bring it back to my room?_

_Forget it!_

Ryan laughed to himself, fears and worries over nightmares put aside, but the thought of practicing magic more did not appeal to him yet either. So, he decided to take another stroll through Snowdin, this time going farther into the woods. He tried to see if he could trace his steps back to the entrance to the ruins. He managed to make it back to the cliff where he had found the monster with the tree horns he had come to learn was called a Gyftrot and the mysterious door where he found another familiar monster perched near the edge of the cliff looking over the forest.

It was the Snowdrake that supposedly ran away from home. Its back was to Ryan; it had not seen him yet. "Hey," Ryan started and the monster jumped to its feet. It turned around and looked up at him just as frightened as it did the last time. "You're Snowy, right?" The Snowdrake did not answer him, but instead jumped off the cliff. Ryan tried to run up and grab the falling monster but it was just out of his grasp.

The Snowdrake let himself fall for a moment, picking up speed before spreading its wings and catching the air as it rushed by him. He was jolted as his decent slowed rapidly and then he glided to the ground to a small clearing near the bottom of the cliff. Once he was on the ground again, he let out a sigh of relief. "That was a little unnecessary." Ryan said, stepping out from behind one of the trees. "I was just trying to talk."

With a yelp, the monster turned to run away, but Ryan was already behind him and the monster fell backwards in fright. "Calm down, kid, I'm not here to hurt you." Ryan tried to reassure him.

"W-what do you want?" The Snowdrake finally said. "Leave me alone." He was kicking at the snow to try to put some distance between him and Ryan while trying to scramble back to his feet at the same time.

"I can't do that." Ryan told the monster taking a slow step towards it.

"Why not?" Ryan leaned down and reached out to the Snowdrake. The small monster shut its eyes and flinched back but Ryan just picked up the monster and set him back down on his feet.

"Because your brother is worried about you. And he asked me to bring you home if I happened to find you." The monster's head lowered in shame. The word 'chill' escaped with a sigh. "So I take it you are Snowy, then?"

The monster nodded and then seemed to remember it was being held and struggled out of Ryan's hands saying, "I don't care what he told you to do. You can't force me to go back there! I'll just run away again."

Ryan let Snowy go. "You're right; I can't force you to go home. But I'd like to know why you ran away at least. Maybe I can help."

The monster's eyes became downcast once more. "Can you bring back my mom?"

The question hit Ryan beside the head like bag of bricks. "No, I can't." Ryan said quietly.

The Snowdrake shook his head. "Then there's nothing you can do to help."

"I'm sorry." Ryan told the monster.

Snowy rounded on him, looking like he was about to scream, but his voice stayed level. "So is everyone else apparently. That seems like the only thing people ever say to me anymore. But it doesn't change anything either. And I'm sick of hearing it."

"So you ran away?" Ryan tried.

"I ran away because my dad doesn't understand me, and he has no idea how to raise a family on his own. My dad was always away doing shows, so mom was the one that took care of us. With her gone, he's just fumbling around in the dark when he's actually home. He hasn't been his old self since then either. He never smiles. He just yells at me to study and yells at my brother to stop being lazy. Sometimes I wonder if he even cares about us." The drake's voice was cracking by the end and he was shaking.

Ryan went over to sit next to the monster in the snow. "It sounds to me like your dad cares about you quite a bit." He told him.

"Then he's got a crappy way of showing it. But you're wrong. He doesn't care. If he did, he'd do more than just yell."

"The fact that he is yelling at you means he cares a lot, and he loves you very much. It means he wants you to be better than what you are now and he believes that you can be."

The monster looked up at him angrily. Ryan could see tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "And how would you know?"

"Because my dad never yelled at me." Ryan told the Snowdrake. "I could do anything, good or bad, and he'd never even comment on it."

"That sounds like it would be great." Snowy commented. Ryan shook his head.

"My dad never yelled at me because he didn't care. He didn't believe in me, never thought I could make anything of myself. He'd given up. So, trust me, your dad still loves you and he's doing his best to raise you and your brother right. You just have to forgive him if his methods are a bit harsh." Ryan smiled at the monster. Snowy said nothing, but Ryan could tell he had taken Ryan's words to heart.

Satisfied, he went on. "So what does your dad do that he's never home."

"He's a comedian at this hotel near the core. It's pretty hard to get there and he has a show five days a week so he only comes home on the weekends."

Made sense. "And what do you like to do?" Ryan asked.

The monster sniffled before answering. "I want to be a comedian too. But my dad won't even listen to my jokes. He tells me that I'll never be a comedian and that I shouldn't want to be. It's all because he never liked being one himself. He was just always good at it. So he thinks I'll be just as miserable as him. But I won't. I like telling jokes and hearing people laugh."

Ryan frowned at that. "Did you explain that to him?"

The monster shook his crested head. "He wouldn't listen."

"Well then, that's the first thing you need to do. You have to sit him down and make him listen. He still may not accept it, but at least he'll know. And I think he will support you, if you're passionate and you try hard."

Snowy looked up at him again with a newfound light in his eyes. "You really think so?" Ryan nodded. "You want to hear one of my jokes?"

He chuckled. "Sure, why not?"

"What do the people of Snowdin eat for dinner?" The monster paused a moment, letting the suspense build. "Macaroni and Freeze! Well, what do you think?"

Ryan cleared his throat after a moment. "I'm not going to lie to you, Snowy, that wasn't very good." The monster's head dropped instantly. "But that in itself is not a bad thing. I could give you a list a mile long as to why, but the most important reason for you, I think, is that it's not something that justifies the naysayers, and it's not a reason to quit even though many may tell you it is." Ryan put a hand on the drake's head. "Failure is an important part of success, the most important part; the part no one knows about unless they've made it past it and the part no one ever talks about. You learn far more from it, especially in the beginning."

The monster still was not as happy as it had been a moment ago, but it nodded. "So, do you want hear some more jokes, then?" He said hopefully.

Ryan smiled once more. "I would be happy to."

The pair spent the better part of the day trading jokes back and forth. It turned out that the kid did have a few good ones. He just needed a confidence boost and someone willing to help him weed out the bad from the good. The late evening found the two sitting on a high branch in one of the trees. They peered out between the snow and needles to the rest of the forest sprawled out around them. "So where is your house?" Ryan asked Snowy as the laugher from the last joke faded.

The Snowdrake answered by flapping its wings to boost himself up to a branch higher in the tree. He looked around the forest, squinting, until he had is bearings and then pointed out, saying. "There."

Ryan followed the monster's gesture. In the distance he could see a wisp of smoke rising from the trees. He tilted his head to the cliff they were still near. If he was right, then that was the house in the clearing he had seen from its top. "I think it's time you headed home then." He told the monster.

Snowy still looked reluctant. He sank down on his perch and stared at the ground. Ryan sighed and stood up so he was eye level with the small monster. "Just remember what I told you and you'll be fine."

"I don't know." The monster mumbled.

"Kid, if there's someone out there who's worrying about you, you can't let them keep worrying. It's unfair to them and to you. And, I won't take no for answer." He smiled, hoping to lighten the mood a bit.

Snowy looked up at Ryan after a moment. "I'll go, but only if you promise to hang out with me some more."

This time Ryan drew his eyes away. "I'm not very good at promises, kid. But, I will be in Snowdin a little while longer at least. If you want to hang out during that time, then I will drop everything to do so."

The young monster seemed to accept that. "Where are you going?" He asked.

Ryan turned back to stare up at the cliff again, in the direction of town. "Somewhere far away." He told the drake.

"The capital?"

Ryan chuckled. "Farther than that."

"What's farther than that?"

Ryan jumped from the tree to the ground, the snow coming nearly to his knees. As he kicked his way to shallower ground, he said. "Maybe someday I'll tell you about it. But for now, it's time for you to go home."

The monster jumped from the tree as well, floating down to land much more gracefully than Ryan had. He started walking back towards his home before turning to say, "You know, you're really nice. I'm glad to have found a friend like you."

Ryan said nothing until the monster disappeared from his sight. "No, I'm not nice." He said to himself. "One day, you'll come to realize that."

Finally alone, Ryan let go of his power and almost immediately fell to his knees. He had held on for almost the entire day. He had been afraid that after jumping off that cliff he would have collapsed immediately and he could not let the young monster get away again.

When he was sure he was in no danger of passing out, he stood back up and began his walk back to town. If Grillby wasn't mad at him for eating him out of house and home yet, he would be soon.

As he finally made it back to the skeleton brothers' house, he was surprised to find them standing out front. They both turned to him as he approached. "Good news, human." Papyrus started once the three of them were standing together. The last word was whispered, hand to mouth and eyes scanning for invisible eavesdroppers.

" **we're kicking you out** " **sans** finished. " **we want our couch back** "

Ryan was taken aback. Why the sudden change of heart? He wondered. Papyrus gestured to the small building to the side of their house. It was a sort of shed, he knew, but had never seen the monsters actually use it for anything. "And we're moving you into our shed." Papyrus added. "Isn't that great? A space of your own! That way we don't need to worry about doing anything embarrassing around you anymore. And you can do… whatever it is humans do when their alone."

The two led him to the front of the shed and opened the door. It had seen better days. That was Ryan's first thought as he entered the room. The walls were cracked in several places; one of the windows was as well. The floor, at least, had been swept, though evidence suggested that it had been pretty built up before then. The "bed" was more of a cot, low to the ground and very stiff looking. It was also the only thing in the room. Still, Ryan felt it was better than the couch. At least he'd have some privacy now.

Papyrus had left at some point, leaving **sans** and Ryan alone once again. "Thank you." He told the squat skeleton. "You both have been so nice to me. I don't think I could ever repay you."

**sans** shook his head. " **you already have, in a way** "

Ryan chuckled. "I don't see how that's possible."

" **kid,** " **sans** started, sounding much more serious than he had a moment ago. " **i don't think you realize just how significant your presence here is** "

Ryan did not like where this was going. "How so?"

" **you are the antithesis of what pretty much everyone down here believes humans to be. with you around, maybe they'll finally start to realize not all humans are bad. and then, maybe, we'll finally be able to get somewhere** "

"Get where?" Ryan asked, confused.

The skeleton shrugged, " **i don't know. somewhere else. as perfect as you find this place to be, it does have its problems. they're just harder to spot as an outsider, i guess. there's a major overcrowding problem brewing and it doesn't help that half of the underground is uninhabitable for most monsters. we've already dug out as close to the barrier we can, and we're out of options. do you know what happens when a regular monster gets too close to the barrier? they get sucked in. the thing pulls in magical energy like a black hole. somehow, i have this feeling that, with you around, it'll help us find a way to get out of here** "

Ryan felt like the skeleton had just put the world on his shoulders. "I don't plan on staying, you know. And it wasn't really a part of my plan to try to break the barrier." He told **sans**.

**sans** shrugged again. " **that may be so. but still, i got this feeling** " The monster turned to the door to leave and stopped. " **one more thing, if you ever deliberately cause harm to single monster, you will find that my good will runs out very quickly. and if that happens,** you won't last very long."

Ryan showed no outward reaction to the skeleton's threat. "I have no intention of hurting anyone. I just don't want to die."

" **just keep that in mind** " **sans** finished and he closed the door behind him.

Ryan sat down on his new bed. A fire sprung to life in his palm and he worked to shape it into a miniature version of Toriel. The figure was smiling up at him with all the care he remembered so clearly. "I still need to get stronger." He told the image. "Then I'll be ready."

The dream did not touch him that night. Nor any night after.


	11. Mysterious Place

"Pull!" Ryan shouted into the silence of the early morning. He stood amongst the trees in a part of the forest that was some distance from Snowdin town this time around. The branches above blocked what little light would have filled the dome, but that was no longer a problem. The snow came halfway up to his knees, but he stopped being concerned about his clothes getting wet days ago. He barely even felt the cold dampness of the massive underground cavern anymore. It usually felt worlds away. Except for now.

Now, all of his focus was on his surroundings. He felt the air move against his skin. There was no wind in the dome, but to suggest the air was still was a misnomer and its slight variations could give away much. He listened to the silence of the morning, penetrating it, digging out its secrets. And he waited, still as the trees he hid amongst.

A whistle reached Ryan's ear. The telltale sign of the first attack cutting through the air as it spun towards him. It was coming towards him swiftly, but he made no move in response to it; not yet. He tried to judge the distance without looking directly at it. Relying instead on his ears to discern the changes in volume as it sped towards him. A task he was actually beginning to get good at. One hundred feet, fifty, twenty five, _now_!

Ryan swept his arm up in an ark and the air rushed away from him with it. It compressed, sharpening to a point as his own invisible attack sped towards the bone flying through the air towards him. The two connected with a concussive pop as the blade of air exploded on impact and the bone's shattered magic scattered into dust.

Not seconds later, more bones emerged from the trees and Ryan disposed of them much the same way, waiting nearly until the last second to knock them from the air. A few he would let slip past, dodging them within a hairline margin to show to his hidden attackers that they should be trying harder to hit him. Much harder.

His wish was answered as he heard, more so than saw, hundreds of bones burst from behind the trees at once. He had no hope of getting rid of those all at once the same way he had the rest. But he was not out of tricks yet. Instead of focusing on a single attack, he went on the defensive. Spreading his arms, the air began to swirl around him, picking up snow to form a miniature cyclone. The bones hit the wall of wind and were swept up by it. When he was sure he had them all, he made the air burst outwards. The bones redirected momentum caused them to embed themselves in the ground. Snow and needles fell from the nearby trees as the wind rushed past them. And then the forest was still once more. Ryan smirked.

The skeleton brothers came out from their hiding places deeper in the woods and joined him with similar smiles on their faces. " **you're getting good** " **sans** told him as he cleaned up his handiwork still sticking up from the snow. Ryan's smile widened, beaming with pride. " **so does this mean you'll be leaving soon?** " The skeleton went on.

Ryan smile disappeared. The monster had still been asking him that every morning. It seemed almost hypocritical. He was the one who told him he should just stay in Snowdin in the first place. Yet **sans** seemed eager to be rid of him all the same. Ryan answered the same way he had several times before now. "There are still some things I need to try and others I still need to get the hang of. Once I do, then I'll be ready."

" **you can't learn how to everything, you know, not even if you had years of practice** " It was not the first time he had told him that either. This daily conversation was becoming like a dance, and one Ryan did not particularly like the steps of.

Thankfully, Papyrus was there to break the monotony this time. "Tell me, human, why did you use 'pull' as the signal to start? What were we supposed to be pulling?"

Ryan chuckled to himself, his good mood returning just as fast as **sans** had ruined it. The taller skeleton was good at that, even if he was not aware of it. Still, Ryan was thankful all the same. "It's just a figure of speech. Don't look too much into it."

" **you barely look tired. want to go another round?** " **sans** asked him, seeming to be past their little ritual as well.

Ryan shook his head. "I actually have some stuff I got to do today."

If the skeleton had eyebrows, they would have been raised. " **oh really? like what?** "

"Secret." Ryan told them as he put a finger to his lips. The answer did not seem to satisfy the skeletons though. "It's a small town." He went on, "I'm sure you'll hear about it eventually."

 

Sallie sighed as she stared into her drink under the dim lighting of Grillby's for the umpteenth night in a row. The straw colored rabbit monster had grown bored of her quiet life in the small town. She wanted nothing more than to leave this place and her overbearing family behind. But, not only did she lack the money to be able to do so, there was not a single room that was not filled in the capital. It was simply impossible.

And so, she was stuck working with her mother at her small textile store in this small town in the middle of Nowhere Forest. It was all so… boring. Nothing interesting ever went on in this town. Which was why whenever anything new happened, word of it was on everyone's lips before the day is done.

Ryan. Currently, he served as this town's greatest mystery. Even bigger than those two skeletons he seems to have something to do with were. Little was known about him even after days. Those who actually spoke to him apparently were not able to get much out of him. He was a shy one apparently. Sallie had been hoping for one of those chance encounters with the man since she saw him that first day in the diner. It was the only reason she was still coming back at this point.

Other monsters had told her that he only ever walked around the woods in the early morning or came to Grillby's to eat. Otherwise he seemed to disappear. And since Sallie did not feel like running around lost in the forest, she figured waiting for him to show up there was her best bet. But after days of nothing, she was beginning to think someone had lied to her. She sighed again, just another reason to get out of this boring town: her own damned luck.

"Would you like me to get you another one of those?" A voice both familiar and not said over her head. She looked up and jumped so hard she almost banged her knees into the table. It was Ryan. He stood over her table with a warm smile on his face and an empty metal serving tray in hand. He wore a white button-down and a black vest and slacks similar to Grillby's usual attire. Sallie stared up at him in disbelief. The look on her face must have been strange indeed because she could see him drawing back in on himself more every second. _Come on, say something damn it!_ But he beat her to it. "Was there something wrong with the drink?"

What? Wait, come to think of it that was the second question he had asked her about that. She looked down at her drink. She had not touched it once, she realized; all of the ice had melted and the condensation was slowly turning the coaster into liquid. With a shake of her head, she snapped out of her trance. "No I'm fine, thanks though." He nodded and made to go check on another table, but she held him back without thinking. "Wait!" She practically shouted, grabbing him by the arm. It would have been a bit embarrassing if not for the fact that the diner was already quite loud and quite full for the time of day.

"You work here?" Sallie asked quickly before he could wonder why she had grabbed him. Under different circumstances she would not have started off with a question like that, but she had to think fast.

"I do." He answered simply. "I was hoping it would help eat away at the debt I'd been building up on a friend."

Wow, he really did not talk that much. Any other monster would be halfway into their life story after a question like that. Well, maybe he was just busy. But she could not help herself. "I wasn't aware Grillby hired anyone."

Ryan leaned in to whisper to her. The air seemed to buzz even more than it usually did as he got closer. Or was that just her? "I'm not gonna lie," he said, "I have no idea whether or not he actually agreed to let me work here. He just hasn't told me to stop yet." They both laughed at that. He stuck out his hand for her to shake. "Ryan." He said.

"Sallie." She said back, taking his hand. "How come I haven't seen you before now?" She should stop and let him get back to work, she knew. But she finally had him. She was not going to let him slip away yet.

"I've been in the back cooking for the most part so far. Turns out I got a knack for it."

She chuckled at that herself. "Good, we could use more of those around here. Not that Grillby's food isn't amazing, but when those dogs come in here he can hardly keep up with them let alone everyone else."

A look towards the bar told her she had run over her allotted time. Grillby was staring directly at the two of them. "Sorry, I gotta get back to work." He told her to confirm her suspicion. Well, it was fun while it lasted. "I'm almost done for the day though, if you want to wait. I'd be happy to talk more." Could it be true? Did she hear wrong?

"Yes." She said almost a little too quickly. But he did not seem to notice. He simply nodded and smiled at her again before going off to help another of the tables. She stared at his back while he worked, laughing with other monsters and dashing back and forth between tables with food and drinks before she realized what she was doing and made herself stop. She downed her drink in one go before leaning back in the booth and saying to herself. "Don't screw this up. Please, don't screw this up."

 

A little later, Sallie stood just outside the diner waiting for Ryan to finish up. Her long ears twitched uncontrollably as she thought of everything that could possibly go wrong in the next few minutes and tried desperately to not fiddle with her clothes or fur. It was a losing battle, however, as she caught herself with a hand to her face or jacket every few seconds before throwing it angrily down to her side. She finally settled on keeping her hands in her pockets. Then there was the other dilemma.

What the heck was she going to talk to him about? She had had something in mind back in the bar, but her stupid brain let it slip while she got lost in some fantasy world. There were plenty of things she wanted to ask him for sure, but what would he think was too forward or just plain invasive? Maybe to would be better to just go home, so many things already seemed to be falling apart to her. But if she just ditched him he surely would not want to talk to her again. She found herself smoothing the fur on the back of her neck again and shoved her hand back into her pocket.

"Sorry that took a minute." Ryan said as he came up behind her, making her jump for the second time that night. _Good start_ , she thought to herself. She turned and looked the man up and down. He wore nothing but a long sleeved, stripped, wool shirt and jeans now, but it somehow looked just as impressive as the formal attire.

"How are you not cold?" She asked him before she could stop herself. _Yeah, that's a great thing to just blurt out. Good job, Sallie…_

He seemed unperturbed by it though. He looked down at himself as if he just realized himself that that was all he was wearing. "Oh, no, the cold doesn't really affect me much." He brushed off. She could accept that. She did not really feel the cold that much herself. She didn't really even need the jacket she wore; she just thought it looked good. "Shall we?" He asked, gesturing for her to walk with him.

"So, where are we going?" Sallie asked as they worked their way to the edge of the town towards the forest.

Ryan shrugged. "I don't know. I just like to wander. I'm still trying to form some sort of map of this place in my head."

"Where are you from, the capital?" She asked him. By now he must think she's not one for beating around the bush and she might as well just keep that up at this point.

There was a pause before he answered. "Sort of, yeah." It was the same kind of dodgy answer she heard other monsters had gotten from him and so she was not surprised by it. She would not be satisfied with it, however. He was definitely hiding something, but what? Why lie about where you're from? And would it be going too far for her to ask?

She decided to chance it. "What's that supposed to mean? You from some bad neighborhood on the outskirts of the city? Or some sort of dark cavern dwelling shut in? Although you could say that about all of us, I guess. Either way, I won't judge." Then she gasped. "You're not a human, are you?" She laughed at her own joke, but then noticed he was not laughing as well. He did not take her seriously, did he? A human, how ridiculous was that? Either way, she shut herself up. After all, it was a sensitive topic that not everyone liked to joke about. She must have overstepped after all. "Sorry, it's not really important. I was just trying to make conversation."

Ryan recovered immediately and shook his head. "No, it's alright. You were right on all accounts but one, really." She could guess on which pretty easily.

The two reached the edge of the town and began making their way down the cliff-edge path to the rest of the forest. "So what brought you to Snowdin then?" Sallie continued.

He paused another moment, looking out over the expanse of trees below them. "Do you want the short version, or the long version?"

She shrugged. "Whichever you're willing to tell me, I guess."

They continued down to the bridge that crossed the gap beneath the frozen waterfall where Ryan walked out to the middle of to sit down. Sallie was more hesitant; she never really trusted that bridge, but Ryan seemed confident enough, so she went out to join him, if she avoided looking directly below herself. "Well, the long version's probably too long, so I'll go with short." He said finally. "Recently, I found out somebody I know is some trouble and I'm the only one who can get them out of it."

Sallie looked at him, puzzled. He sounded like he was trying to play it off, but that sounded like it was serious. "Is it someone in Snowdin?"

He shook his head. "No, I still have a way to go yet before I get to them."

"What holds you back?"

"Training." He said simply.

"Training? For what? What kind of trouble is your friend in?"

"The kind that requires me going to see the king and probably having to fight off a few members of the royal guard along the way."

It really was serious, far more serious than he seemed to think. The king would see any monster, for any reason, but if he thought that… "What did they do?"

Ryan drifted into a somberness that seemed in complete contrast with how he had been a moment ago. It was such a change Sallie almost thought it was a different person for a moment. "As far as I'm concerned, nothing." he was staring down at his hand now. A small flame appeared above it that danced in the still evening. To Sallie, she thought she saw it take the shape of a flower for a moment before it winked out of existence. His face was all grim determination now. She realized that any further prying on the subject probably would not be appreciated.

Time for a new topic, then. "So how'd you come to know the dynamic duo?" she settled.

Ryan's answer was immediate this time. "I spent a night being chased around the woods by them, being thrown into deadly and ridiculous puzzles in an attempt to test whether or not I was a good person and really just to have a laugh at my expense. All in an effort to make it through town as quickly as possible and only to end up passing out from exhaustion feet from my goal. Which led to me realizing just how in over my head I was and so I now live in their shed."

Sallie threw her head back in laughter. Of all the stories she had heard regarding the two skeletons that was definitely the best. She laughed until she saw the look on Ryan's face was no different than it had been before. "Wait, you're serious?" He nodded like he was not happy about that fact. "And you live with them?"

This time he laughed. "Now, when you put it like that, it really does make me sound like an idiot, huh?" Then they laughed together. "But enough about that, how about you? What's your story?"

"A short one." She answered honestly. "I was born in this town, I worked with my mom since I was a kid, and have been bored out of my mind nine days out of ten for pretty much my whole life. That's pretty much it."

"Oh, you undersell yourself, I'm sure. What about hobbies?"

"I like to dance." She told him. "Though I don't really get many opportunities to do it. No one around here really knows how to play any music and dancing to silence is just awkward." She adjusted her position on the bridge, causing it to move and her to suppress another jump. "What about you, do you dance at all?" If that was too obvious, so be it. She had made it this far without chasing him off.

Ryan shrugged. "I can't say I've ever really danced, no." Her shoulders drooped a little. Was that him just being honest or was he turning down her unsaid offer? No, she was reading too much into it, surely. "I do like music though. I keep a good deal of it on me all times."

"How do you manage that?" She asked as he pulled out a small, black rectangle from his pocket. "What is it?"

"A phone." He said as if that explained it well enough.

"How does a phone have music?" Ryan pressed a button and part of the rectangle lit up. He tapped at the screen and in changed in response to his touch. "That's a phone? Where the heck did you get something like that?"

"It was a gift, really. Came straight from the world above. And since that's been the general response I've gotten from people concerning it, I guess it must be a lot newer than anything around here. And it has quite a bit of music from up there on it, watch." He tapped the screen again and sound started to come from it. Not the buzzy ringtones of the phones she was used to seeing, but actual music. The song was soft, airy and peaceful, and the tempo was perfect for dancing. She closed her eyes and imagined it, the melody filling the room as she twirled through it. It was unlike anything she had ever heard before, the sounds certainly made by instruments she could not put a name to.

"How many songs are on there?" She asked after a minute.

"I don't know. I never listened to them all. A few thousand, at least."

"Thousand?!" And he had said it like it was nothing. "You're joking this time, right?"

As answer, he leaned the screen towards her so she could see it. A list of names filled most of the screen. With a swipe, the names started to scroll up the screen. Dozens of them went by in a second and it kept going. The list had barely made it into names staring with 'B' when it started to slow.

"Alright, now you have to let me listen to more."

 

It must have been later then she thought when Sallie returned home that night because her mother was not in the store. Vaguely, she remembered saying something about helping her close that day. Oops. Carefully, she crept to the back of the store and up the stairs to their actual house. If she were lucky, she would be able to slip into her room without trouble. But it seemed her luck had run out for the day.

"I see you're finally home, dear." Her mother said from behind the sink in their kitchen. She was still washing dishes from a dinner she was also beginning to remember saying she would be around for. The rose-pink rabbit monster did not look up from her work as Sallie walked into the room, her own head hanging low.

"Sorry for skipping out on you. I lost track of time. I was…" Her mind struggled for an excuse. She had been hoping to avoid this conversation. But before she could come up with anything, her mother gave her a look that said 'I know exactly what you've been doing, I'm your mother.' It was a look delivered with a smirk and Sallie knew it to be true.

Of course she knew. Everyone in this town knew everything everyone did within the hour and a hundred different versions of what had happened would be passed around by morning. "So, how did it go?" Her mother asked as Sallie sat down at the table.

"It went alright, I guess. We just talked mostly. He seems really nice."

"Well that's good. And when will you be bringing him home?"

"Mom! It's a little early for that, don't you think?" I've barely known him a few hours."

Her mother set the rest of the dishes aside and sat down at the table across from Sallie. "I'm not getting any younger, missy. And I refuse to leave this world until I know you're happy with a family of your own. Now, I've never seen you swoon over anyone like you do that boy. So I will do everything in my power to make sure he is tied to you with rope thicker than a tree if it makes you happy. If you want, I could get my sisters to-"

"You are not going to manipulate him, mom!" Sallie had grown up hearing many stories about how her mom and her aunts were able to get the men they liked to dance like a puppet on strings for them. Sometimes she felt they enjoyed it a little too much. "I can't force him into anything, nor do I want to. Whatever happens will happen."

Her mother did not seem satisfied, but she nodded in agreement to not interfere. Knowing her, she still would, just not as much and not as forcefully. "Well, he at least agreed to see you again, yes? You didn't scare him off, did you?"

"No I did not, and yes he did." She smiled to herself. Ryan had insisted he would be leaving soon, but he agreed to talk with her whenever the chance arose. Even if they did not have much time to spend together, she would make the most of it.

 

"What about the ceiling? Think you can jump all the way up there?" Snowy asked as he pointed a wing up at the dome of stone above the forest. The young monster had brought Ryan out into a part of the forest he had yet to explore himself. The small clearing they were in was completely surrounded by branches around its entire perimeter making it completely invisible to anyone who did not know it was there. All of the snow in the clearing had been gathered and made into quite the impressive sized igloo. Accompanying it was a small platform set up to use as a stage and a few bars of ice for the monster to perch in the trees. The monster had admitted that it was where he ran off to whenever life at home had become too much for him. Something he had still done more than once since Ryan had first met him, much to his displeasure.

The monster had actually sought out Ryan that day, coming into Grillby's while he was still working to ask whether he could try out some more jokes on him. An act that seemed to pain the monster, Ryan thought. Though, he supposed a restaurant run by living fire would probably be a bit much for the ice monster. Ryan had agreed and followed the monster into the woods after he had finished up. They had traded jokes for a while and then the conversation had gone from how Snowy had been doing since they last saw each other – not much better, as it turned out – to what Ryan had been up to himself, and of course that led to magic. The young monster had been more than happy to watch him show off what he had managed to learn so far, including his improvement on mastering whatever that special power he had was.

Ryan had taken to covering up his soul with bandages to hide its glow. An unfortunate side effect of getting better with his power was it would kick in in response to things as mundane as a glass falling off a table. He had yet to figure out why that made it glow so much more brightly than when he used magic normally, but that did not change the fact that something needed to be done about it.

Looking up at the top of the dome, Ryan tried to judge the distance. The giant cave that housed the forest was nowhere close to a perfect hemisphere, but he guessed the top must still be at least half a mile above their heads. It would be a lie to say he was not tempted to try, but it was not worth the risk. His knowledge of physics was clouded with time, but he guessed it would require a good deal of energy to propel his mass that high. "I think that's a bit beyond me." He told the monster finally.

Snowy looked slightly disappointed that he would not get to see Ryan try, but it was soon forgotten. "Still, you can do some crazy cool stuff with magic. All I can do is make some ice, really."

Ryan shrugged. The list of things he could do with magic was still agonizingly short. With the list of things he wanted to figure out getting longer every day. He could control fire almost absolutely now as long as it was still relatively near him, he could make wind, and he could make food. Add in his ability to temporarily become the Man of Steel, it did not seem like a very impressive list to him.

Meanwhile, questions stirred in his mind. Could he somehow make shields that could be tied off without being locked in place? How can he manipulate objects from afar? How can he make more than just fire? He wanted to learn how to do everything, but the process was slow, too slow. But still, he needed to learn.

"I was actually hoping you could show me how to do some of that ice magic." Ryan said, turning his attention back to the monster.

The drake looked at him confused. "How am I supposed to do that? You're not a Snowdrake."

Ryan returned the monster's confusion with his own. "What does that have to do with it?"

"Only Snowdrakes can know Snowdrake magic." The monster said as if it were obvious. "Just like only Icecaps can only know Icecap magic, dogs can only know dog magic. Anything more complicated than fire is just something we know. Besides, you already know your magic: it's air. Only boss monsters can learn more than one kind. What made you think you'd be any different?"

This was news to him, and another slip up he could not afford. He was lucky he had found this out with Snowy and not someone in town or it might have blown his cover then and there. He had no idea monsters were so limited. He had certainly dabbled into things beyond what he was good at he just was not very good at any of them yet. Another thing that he needed to be careful about: if he started using a bunch of magic around people it may raise questions.

"I guess I was just hopeful." He answered the monster finally. One more question came to mind on the topic before he pushed it aside. A question he felt guilty about as soon as it popped into his head. How could he use that element of surprise to his advantage?

...

"You can't have a grilled cheese _or_ tomato soup." Ryan argued as he threw a small rock at the stream that wound itself around the outskirts of Snowdin town. The rock skipped across the slow moving water and landed on the opposite bank with a small puff of snow. He had come to look forward to the times he could just talk and kill time with Sallie, able to leave the world and troubles within behind for a while. The monster crouched over the stream next to him, sticking her fingers in the frigid water and watching the ripples from Ryan's cast stone roll over its surface. "One without the other is practically sacrilege." He went on. "Unless it's one of those ones that have, like, an entire four course dinner in it. And yes, I have seen that."

Most of their talks were like this, drifting through whatever popped into their heads. Ryan enjoyed it greatly, and he hated that he enjoyed it so much. More and more as the days passed he felt the pressure of what he should be doing weighing him down. And his escape was become less that and more of a ticking time bomb.

He looked down at Sallie, still engrossed by the water. He could tell she did not enjoy the superficial nature of their conversations as much as he did, but she never made any attempt to change it and would even try to stop him if he made the attempt. Perhaps because she knew how happy it made him. And again, he felt guilty for not being able to make her as happy as she made him.

She looked up at him and frowned. He was not able to hide his frustration fast enough. "What's wrong?" She asked him.

He almost said "nothing" as fast he almost told her the truth. Monsters were similar to humans in one sense, at least: you could not just say to a girl "I can tell you're not happy with the way things are. What do you want I, or us, to do to change that?" and expect a straight answer. You had to figure it out for yourself. Instead, he brought up the other half of his worry.

"I just don't know if what I'm doing is right." He said simply. She knew him well enough at that point to know exactly what he was referring to.

"You said you would go when you're ready." She told him with a shrug. "If you aren't ready yet, that isn't your fault. I'm sure whatever it is you need to do won't get worse until you are."

"That's just the thing," He countered, throwing another rock at the water. It did not skip that time. "I have no idea what damage it's causing. Everything could be falling apart while I just sit here doing nothing!"

Sallie stood up and stepped to within inches of him. The look on her face rivaled Toriel's for fierceness as she waved a finger under his nose. "You are not doing nothing, and you know it." She lectured. "I've seen you out here almost every morning practicing magic, doing things with it I did not think were even possible for monsters to do. So do not tell me you have been doing nothing. And don't tell me you should be working harder either. There is such a thing as too much regardless of how much you try to reject the concept."

Ryan visibly slumped and dropped his eyes. She was right, and he told her as much. "Maybe I'm just getting a little stir crazy… It's been days since I took a walk."

The rabbit backed off slightly, but still looked ready to jump back into lecturing him if he said the wrong thing. "Now that I can understand. I was wondering how long it would take you to figure out just how little there is to do here."

Ryan raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you really think that? I feel like exploring all of the woods alone would take my entire life."

Sallie rolled her eyes back at him. "There's nothing interesting out there." She stated.

Ryan smiled a mischievous smile he had not smiled in a good while; a smile that Sallie herself had never seen from the man before. "Really?" He asked, "I bet you five gold that you're wrong."

 

Sallie had no clue where in the forest they were anymore, but the fact did not worry her. Ryan seemed to know the forest better than she did, and so she was not afraid of getting lost. She was, however, afraid of heights. And the drop in front of them was enough to make her fur stand on end. The plateau they stood on was wide and flat and the view from it was certainly breathtaking and normally the drop would not be enough to frighten her. It was what Ryan intended to do that frightened her. She had to swallow a whimper when he first suggested it.

"No." She said for at least the eighth time as she looked down over the edge.

"If I knew a better way to get down there, I'd take it. But it's just sheer drop all around the thing. It's the only option." Ryan had described the place they were supposed to be going to as they walked through the forest. It was a part of the forest near the wall of the dome, cut off from the rest, that was supposed to be filled with an array of caves beneath it but he had refused to say what made them so special. And he had most certainly left out the part where they would have to jump a good hundred feet to get down there.

"No." She said again.

Ryan sighed. "Sallie, you've seen me make jumps higher than this. You know I can do it."

"It's not you I'm worried about, it's me, you dolt." She said hitting him.

"Do you not trust me?" He asked, smirking.

Sallie's anger drained out of her and she shrunk back. "It's not that…" She mumbled.

"Then come on. It'll be fun, and it'll be over before you know it." He held out his hand to her. The smile on his face was both reassuring and certain that she would not refuse. She wanted to punch him again, but instead she found herself slowly reaching for his hand.

No sooner had her fingers touched his that he suddenly scooped her into his arms and jumped off of the cliff, giving her no chance to second guess her decision. The ground rushed up to meet them faster than Sallie thought possible and a shriek of fear from her made a strange harmony with Ryan's own shout of joy as they fell. Sallie shut her eyes and waited for the inevitable crack and pain, but it never came. Instead, the wind that rushed past them seemed to still and she could feel herself slow. She opened her eyes again to see that they were indeed falling slower. The wind changed again, swirling snow around them as the air gently placed them on the ground as if they had taken a normal step down a set of stairs.

Sallie stared at the ground in disbelief and then stared up at Ryan. His bemused smile broke her out of her shock and she struggled out of his arms. "Don't ever do that again!" She told him as she tried to remember how to stand on her own two feet. His laughter only infuriated her further. "This better be worth it." She grumbled as she began smoothing her fur.

"Oh, don't worry. It will be." Without anything more, Ryan started walking toward the cliff they were standing on top of just moments ago; towards one of several large cracks in the stone easily wide enough for both of them to fit through side by side. And Sallie followed after a moment later, knees still slightly week.

As the dim light faded into complete darkness, a flame appeared in Ryan's hand as he led her deeper into the cave. The stone was the same blue-gray as it was anywhere else in the forest and Sallie was still angry enough to question why they had bothered coming if this was all there was to see. She almost said as much to him before the cave suddenly opened up into a large chamber filled with large spikes clear crystal. They completely covered the walls and the ceiling some as fine as hair, others as tall as a building. Sallie stared in awe as Ryan walked into the center of the room. The light of his fire reflecting off and through the crystal, making the room seem to dance to an unheard song. "It's beautiful." She managed as she circled in place.

"This is nothing." He said in response. Sallie turned her attention back to him as he leaned down and placed the fire in the center of the floor. She watched it morph to become a tiny ball of pure light that grew to the size of her head and the light in the room exploded. The light of the ball was refracted into a million rainbows that danced on top of one another, swirling around and into one another until the room itself seemed to melt away into an infinite space of pure color. The ground, clear of crystal, was the only thing that seemed to remain solid and was the only reason she did not feel like she was being swept away.

Ryan's joyous laughter echoed her own. She had never seen anything so awesome and it had been right beneath her all her life. "How did you find this place?" she asked breathlessly.

"Easy, I wasn't looking for it." She had no idea what he meant by that, but at the moment it hardly seemed to matter. Eventually, she tore her eyes away from the sight to look at him. He was smiling down at her, taking in her reaction as much as everything else. For a moment she just stared back at him, not wanting the moment to end. It was just too perfect.

"Alright, you win the bet." She said finally, and they both laughed.

 

" **taking quite the risk, aren't you?** " **sans** asked Ryan outside his front door one day as he was returning from another outing with Sallie. The cave had not been the only treasure he had found in that forest. And he intended to show her all of them.

Ryan looked down at the monster with the level of skepticism he had come to use with every encounter he had with him. "What do you mean?"

" **while it may be true that no one in this town probably knows what a human looks like, every second you spend with them just increases your chances of getting caught. don't you think that's probably not the best thing?** "

Ryan's eyes narrowed further. "Why are you bringing this up now?" He asked.

" **honestly, i thought you'd be long gone by now** "

"Well, I have, in fact, given that some thought, and I realized I don't really care." Ryan tried to walk past the monster but his way was blocked by a wall of bone that sprung up from the ground.

" **kid, i knew you had the tendency to be reckless. but i'm pretty sure you're not stupid. even after all this time, a lot of monsters are still scared to death by the thought of humans. the slightest suspicion and undyne and the royal guard will descend on this town faster than you can rattle your bones. and you can be sure undyne will recognize what you are on sight. and then all things you spent so much time trying to prepare for will fall apart. i can't stop you, but keep it in mind** " The wall dropped and sans went into his house leaving Ryan to his thoughts.

He knew he had been careless, in more ways than just what the skeleton described. And he knew he had had a couple of close calls. He had been lucky so far, but he was taking a big risk. He should be gone. _I'm not ready yet_. He told himself for the thousandth time.

 

**sans's** words stuck with him through the night and into the next morning, making him grow more frustrated as the hours passed. So he relieved that frustration the way he normally did: by practicing magic.

He stood in front of a mirror that he had borrowed from Papyrus in the skeletons' living room and looked over his reflection. He looked different, he realized. For the first time in his life he would say he did not look scrawny. It was strange, but irrelevant at the moment. The skeleton's words had spawned a question. Could he use magic to change how he looked? And how well? So he stood in front of the mirror and will parts of his body to change. No luck there. If direct change did not work, what about the appearance of change. He had no idea where to even begin with illusion magic.

Concentrating, he made himself believe that his hair was some other color than it actually was. Moments later, he watched his blonde hair fade into a bright green. He smiled and fixed an image for a different illusion in his head. Almost immediately other things changed as well. His eyes turned red, his hair grew in length, skin became pale to the point of white, and more changed both shape and size.

Ryan admired his handiwork in the mirror. He chuckled to himself. "Heh, I'm a Pokémon."

Just then, the door slammed open behind him and Ryan jumped. The skeletons could not be back already could they? It would not be the first time Ryan had lost so much time while practicing. But it was not **sans's** or Papyrus's voice that followed the bang of the door, it was not anyone's he knew.

"Hey Paps, you home yet?" The voice said "I'm rescheduling your lesson for this week, so let's…" The figure stopped in the doorway and looked at Ryan, confusion plain on their face. "You're not Papyrus." They said.

Ryan could not respond, he could not help but stare in shock. He had never seen the monster before, but he knew who it must be instantly. It was his worst nightmare.

It was Undyne.


	12. Spection

"Who the hell are you?" Undyne demanded as she stepped into the skeleton's house. The captain of the Royal Guard was exactly as had been described to Ryan. The blue fish monster with fiery red hair and a one-eyed glare to match was just a hair taller than him and she used every bit of it to tower over him. The monster wore a studded, black leather coat and jeans and her gaze was fixed squarely on him. Ryan almost jumped out of the window on instinct.

She strode closer to him, eye narrowing further with every step. Ryan shrunk under the gaze, his brain unable to process what was happening. Everything he had planned for was falling into ruins. He expected to be struck down at any second.

Suddenly a thought seemed to come to Undyne and most of her fierceness seemed to melt away. She still looked like she was ready to lash out at anything that threatened her – or simply annoyed her – in an instant, though, and the smile on her face now did not do much to comfort him either. "You must be the one Papyrus told me about. Ryan, right?" She stuck out a hand for him to shake. Ryan flinched back from it like it was a full force punch. Slowly though, once he realized it was not, Ryan took the offered hand and his own was nearly crushed by her grip. "You look a lot different than he told me, though."

Ryan did not understand for a moment. He looked down at himself and was surprised to see the illusion he had weaved was still in place. He almost let out a sigh of relief. He looked nothing like a human at the moment. Undyne was none the wiser. He still had a fighting chance to make it out of this alive. But he was not out of the woods yet.

Regaining as much of his composure as he could manage, he forced himself to look back at his nightmare turned real and smile. "Yeah, that's a thing I can do. Change how I look, I mean." To emphasize, he turned his hair to the same red as her own before bringing back to green. The monster looked him up and down and then nodded as if impressed.

"So, where is Papyrus?" She went on, previous matter apparently settled. "He not back yet?"

Ryan opened his mouth to say he had not seen the skeleton yet, but more noise drifted in from the still open door before he could start. "I'm telling you, I almost had that darn horoscope solved today!" Said a voice that was definitely the tall skeleton's. It was followed by, "Sans! Why did you leave the door open?"

" **wasn't me** " It seemed both of the skeletons were back already. Ryan must have been staring in the mirror longer than he thought after all.

No sooner had a shadow appeared in the doorway did a pale blue spear become embedded in it. Eliciting a yelp from both Papyrus who was walking into the doorway and Ryan who hoped no one noticed. Undyne went right into it, though. "Papyrus! Why didn't you introduce me to your friend yet?!" While she said all of this, the soldier ran over to the skeleton and grabbed him by the neck. She swung him around in a circle and tossed him back out onto the snow in the street.

**sans** , who was standing behind his brother, casually stepped aside from the flying form and went into the house. To Ryan, he looked as cool and collected as ever, but he saw the skeleton's eyes dart between Undyne and him several times as the monster walked over to stand next to him. Ryan tried to the signal to him that he was not found out yet while moving as little as possible. Likely, **sans** thought he was just panicking.

The two other monsters were talking over each other outside. Ryan could hear the sound of more than one crack from the skeleton hitting a tree. It did not sound like it was anywhere close to ending either. " **you should probably go and break them up before the whole town gets flattened** " **sans** told him as if this was all nothing out of the ordinary.

Ryan looked at the monster incredulously. "I am not getting in the middle of that!" He said back to him.

The skeleton sighed and went back outside. There was no indication that **sans** had done anything, the noise simply ceased. "So, as I was saying, this is indeed Ryan, the one I told you about." Papyrus announced as all three now walked in the door which **sans** shut behind him this time. "I would have brought him to see you sooner. But sadly he is actually awake during the day and asleep at night, so we don't get to hang out much. Ryan you look different. Did you get a new shirt?"

Ryan's eye shot to the mirror. He still looked nothing like he normally did, with bright green hair and giant red eyes. He was surprised that the skeleton had recognized him at all. "Yes, Papyrus." He answered. "That, and a few other things."

"I thought so." The skeleton nodded. "I have a sharp eye for fashion, you know. Now then, what brings you today, Undyne?"

"I had to move some stuff around, so we're having our lesson today. Get moving!" Undyne had the skeleton by the neck again and was dragging him back to the door before **sans** stopped them.

" **hold on, since we're all here, why not make it a more formal thing. i'm hungry, who wants breakfast?** "

Ryan's head whipped around to the monster. After all this time, he was still pulling stuff like this? He was about to say he had somewhere to be, but both Papyrus and Undyne jumped ahead of him. "Sounds like a plan. I'll go cook something!" Undyne stated.

"Nonsense! You are a guest. I shall do the cooking." Papyrus countered. They argued back and forth over who should have the right to cook for a few minutes before **sans** chimed in again.

" **actually, why doesn't ryan cook? this is all about him, after all, plus he's been working at grillby's** " Their fighting stopped, and their curiosity overtook their pride. Reluctantly, they both agreed.

Ryan stood in the kitchen still as a statue while the drone of the three monsters in the other room washed over him unnoticed. His head felt like it was tied up by a dozen ropes that were all trying to pull it in a different direction. He was caught in more bad situations at once than he could count. He tried to calm himself down, but it did not work. Instead, he just tried to focus on the most immediate problem. What should he cook?

Spaghetti came to mind first, but what consequences would that bring? Would the skeleton be angry if he outdid his signature dish in front of his mentor? Knowing him, he would probably be proud and give himself most of the credit. Still, it was a mine field he would rather avoid. He ended up just making a more suitable breakfast: pancakes, eggs and bacon, made solely using magic. He looked down at his handiwork and smiled. Toriel would be proud of him.

He brought the plates into the other room and saw that the table had been pulled back from the wall and they were all sitting around it. There was already more than one crack in the table near where Undyne was sitting. Ryan began to wonder just how long the house would stay up if she remained. The conversation died out as he entered the room and put the plates down on the table. He took a seat opposite Undyne, certain that it was not happenstance. **sans** and Ryan began to eat in silence, while the other two stared between him and the food. "What?" Ryan asked.

"I thought we would be having spaghetti. I was hoping to show Undyne just how much you had learned from me." He should have guessed. There was no winning that one.

"Oh, just eat." He told the skeleton.

"Very well, another time then."

The meal passed in relative silence, which surprised Ryan. He had expected it to be one of the most psychotic displays he had ever seen, but very few words were passed around while they ate. It was not until after all of the plates were cleared that the conversation began.

"So, Paps tells me you're good with magic?" Undyne commented.

"Not really." Ryan half lied. He still thought he was just getting the hang of it, but everyone else seemed to think he had a knack for it.

"I know, we should have a fight!" Undyne was practically leaning over the table with excitement as if she had not heard him.

Ryan shook his head. "If you're one tenth as good as your reputation suggests, then I am nowhere near strong enough to fight you."

"There's only one way to find out for sure, isn't there?" Undyne insisted. He did not like the gleam in her eye one bit.

Thankfully, Papyrus jumped in to save him. "Undyne, remember the last time you tried to have a fight around here? And how mad it made the king?"

In response to that, Undyne slumped back into her seat. "It's not my fault forests take so long to regrow!" She said defensively, crossing her arms over her chest. "Alright, maybe not a fight, but I want to have some kind of contest because I don't get what Papyrus sees in you."

" **what's this all about, undyne?** " **sans** spoke up.

The monster's fist slammed down onto the table, adding more cracks to its surface. "I refuse to believe this scrawny kid made it past every single one of the sentries I posted in the forest!" Undyne glared at Ryan from across the table.

"What? All those dogs out in the woods?" Ryan started, "They are…" Undyne's glare intensified. "They are very good at their jobs and were very hard to get by…" He took an awkward sip of a drink.

This time, it was **sans** that steered the conversation in a different direction. " **didn't one of you say something about moving a lesson around?** "

"That's right!" Undyne shot up from the table, almost taking it with her. She grabbed Papyrus by the top of the head. "We're wasting time!" She yelled at no one in particular before going toward the door. She spared one additional look to Ryan before she left. "We're not finished with this." She assured him before she was gone, still dragging Papyrus by the head behind her. The skeleton managed to give Ryan a thumbs up before the door slammed behind him.

A moment later, Ryan's head hit the table. " **you're still alive. I think that went well** "

"I haven't been this stressed since high school." Ryan said without picking up his head.

" **so, when did you learn how to do that?** " **sans** asked him once he was sure the other two were gone.

Ryan let the illusion drop before answering. He was already feeling exhausted from the concentration it took to keep up. Or maybe that was just because of everything that happened. "About twenty minutes before she showed up." He told the skeleton.

"Well, aren't you lucky?"

Ryan scoffed. "Yeah, lucky…"

 

It was a few days before Ryan built up the courage to go back out in public again. Partly out of fear that Undyne would show up and try to challenge him again, and partly just because he felt like he just needed a recharge. He asked Papyrus to grab books from the library whenever he could, though it turned out the place was mostly filled with books for kids or written by kids. Otherwise, his time was spent doing little more than nothing. And for once it did not depress him at all to be doing so.

"Can you really believe that other timelines exist though?" Ryan was saying to **sans** one morning. The two stood on the balcony atop their house. Ryan was looking into his drink as he swirled it in his hand. The monster had one as well. It surprised Ryan at first; he did not take the skeleton to be one that would drink, but he had learned long ago that monsters would surely never stop surprising him.

It was one of those rare instances where the two actually just spoke about whatever came to mind, usually about things more useless than those he talked about with Sallie. Ryan had lost track of the steps that had brought them all the way to talking about time as it always seemed to, but he was certain it had started with something to do with apples. " **what's so hard to believe about it?** " The skeleton asked him in return.

Ryan enjoyed talking about this kind of stuff almost as much as he did talking with Sallie. Plus, **sans** seemed more knowledgeable about this kind of stuff than anyone he had ever met. "Because I have a firm enough grasp on the concept of infinity to know that I will never have a firm grasp on the concept of infinity." He began to explain. "My brain is not capable of wrapping itself around the sheer immensity of the idea. And if you believed some alternate timelines were to exist, then would _all_ have to exist, every single possible outcome of every choice by every person and particle in existence stacked on top of each other.

"I mean, imagine if you could see that. There would be an unbelievable overflow of information. It would drive me insane in an instant, I'm sure. Plus, how would you be able to know which is real, which is yours? How would you be able to tell what actually happened from only could have happened? Or did it happen? And again, if you accept that idea where everything has actually happened or at least will happen, then I definitely would go crazy. To watch everyone you love live countless lives, from the worst to the best; to see it all…

"No, I'd much rather believe that what I see is all there is. I'll leave the matters of 'what if' to the gods and my stupid anxiety."

**sans** said nothing for a while, and he finished his drink before finally speaking up. " **maybe you're right** " He said simply.

Ryan decided to shift topics. "You know, I feel like we don't ever get to talk much. Aside from when you're lecturing me, of course."

" **maybe I don't want to talk to you because you're a dirty freeloader. ever think about that?** " The skeleton's smile returned at the chance to poke fun at Ryan.

Ryan smirked. "You know full well I've tried to make arrangements to pay you guys and you've just dismissed it every time."

"yeah, because then I wouldn't be able to call you a dirty freeloader" They both laughed. "if you really want to talk more, you can always swing by my booth while i'm working. i'm not doing anything better"

"Yeah, but that's so far away." Ryan mock whined.

" **speaking of which, i've noticed you've kind of secluded yourself these last couple of days. anything wrong?** "

Ryan drained the last of his own drink. "I've been perfectly fine. What could you mean?" He told the monster, but he was not fooled.

" **it was undyne, wasn't it? she gave you quite the scare, huh? yeah, she has that effect on people** " Ryan stared out in the direction of the edge of town. From there, he could almost make out the way out of the forest. " **maybe it's time you start wrapping thing up here, huh?** "

Ryan sighed, turning his back to the forest. "Maybe…" He whispered to the air.

 

Ryan strode through town the following morning with a purpose. He had spent almost the whole day yesterday coming up with a plan and was now began putting it into action. First, though, he had to prepare. He swung his arms in a circle occasionally, savoring his returned freedom of movement. There had been one more practical application to the illusion magic he figured out. He could use it to hide his soul, and that meant no more bandages.

He had yet to actually go into the shop near the entrance of the town, never seeing the need to get anything from it. All he knew was that it was owned and run by one of Sallie's aunts. But, he figured it would be the best place to start.

The shop itself was attached to the inn next to it and looked much the same on the outside, but the inside made is breath catch. Shelves lined the walls and more filled up the floor, all of them filled to the brim with all sorts of things. Hundreds, if not thousands of items filled the place. Both things he knew and things he could not even begin to discern the function of, let alone put a name to. "Hello, how can I help you?" The monster behind the counter asked as he shut the door behind him. The rabbit monster standing in front of even more shelves gave him a warm smile. She was almost as tall as him, not even counting her ears and her purple fur made her look almost nothing like Sallie. "Never seen your face before. Well, feel free to take a look around. I've got all sorts of stuff here, even stuff that happened to drift in from the human world, if you can believe it. There anything in particular I can help you with?"

"Actually, there is. I was wondering if you happened to have… What?" Ryan stopped as he noticed the way the monster was looking at him.

"I know you." She said as she looked him over. "You're the one Sallie won't stop talking about, aren't you?" The monster crossed her arms in front of her and seemed to weigh him even more heavily. "I was wondering when you'd show your face around here. I've been looking forward to the opportunity to talk to you for a long time."

"Why's that?"

"I don't know what she sees in you." The monster went on. Ryan could not tell from her tone whether the monster had answered his question or not. "You don't seem like all that much to me, and I've heard all of the stories about what you two have been doing together. So let me ask you, what makes you think you're good enough to date my niece?"

"Date?" Ryan was taken aback. Where could the monster have gotten that idea from? He and Sallie were good friends to be sure, but the rabbit always seemed adamant in keeping it that way. He was certain she had no interest in him. "Sallie and I are just friends." He told the monster, but she rolled her eyes, unconvinced.

"Oh, please. That girl is an open book. If it isn't obvious that she likes you, then you must either be dense or dull, and you don't look to be either. So what's the story, don't like them cute and fuzzy? Play for the other team? Or are you going to admit you were lying? It's okay, I would not even think of coming between the two of you. Unless you did something to hurt her. You didn't, did you? That isn't why you're here, is it?"

Ryan could hardly get a word in to say anything and he struggled to keep up with all of the questions and accusations. When he finally managed to speak, his words came out in a jumble. "No, I didn't… I mean I'm not… I mean it is about Sallie, but-"

"What is it, then? Thinking of something to buy to win her heart forever? Well, let me tell you, kid, the way that girl talks, it's already yours. You could give her a pile of snow and she'd treat it like it was all the gold in the world. I hardly think you'd need anything more than that, but I'm not one turn down a customer. I could make a few suggestions, if you like. How about-"

"Speakers." Ryan managed to force through a crack in the monster's onslaught of words.

"What was that?"

"Speakers." He said again. "I'm looking for speakers. And some advice, I guess. Since we're already on the topic."

"Speakers? What to do you need people to speak for you for? Your own voice not good enough?"

Ryan took a moment to explain to the monster what speakers were, careful not to reveal too much of how he knew all of it and even more careful to imply that he had seen them used before somewhere down here.

"Is that what those things do?" She said once she understood. "I always wondered. Yeah, I got a few of those around here somewhere." The monster disappeared through a door in the back, all the while still talking over the sound of boxes being shifted around. "I bet they have all sorts of stuff like that in the capital, huh? That is where you're from, right? Oh no wait, Sallie said something about that not being quite the case. Oh well, it makes no difference really. The city seems like it gets all the best stuff nowadays. Not much tends to float all the way down here anymore. Then again, there is a town of fire above a lake of molten rock between here and there. I'm sure that dissuades a lot of travel. I hear their crowding problem is only getting worse too. Know anything about that?"

Meanwhile, Ryan was beginning to understand why Sallie thought he did not talk much, if this is what she had to grow up dealing with. Certain that participating in the conversation would only go unnoticed, he occupied himself in studying the objects that lined the wall behind the counter. There were several bottles and books, a few open chests, and many unnamable things besides. His eye was drawn to a scroll tacked to the wall, however. _By the order of His Majesty, Asgore Dreemurr, King of Monsters,_ it read across the top, _all humans found within the Underground are to be captured or killed on sight. They, or in the latter circumstance their souls, are to be brought before His Majesty with the greatest of fervor. There is to be no mercy for the humans. They have proven time and time again that they are our enemy and will forever be so. And they shall be treated as such._ Below the words was a symbol, what Ryan had come to know as the delta rune. It was the monster's crest, though he never understood why. The symbol was made of three triangles, two pointing up and one pointing down, topped by winged circle. It struck a familiarity in his mind, one that made his mind strain to remember something, but he could not.

The scroll itself made him shiver. The decree went on to list a very vague and rather inaccurate description of humans as well as what punishments awaited those found to be harboring them. The rabbit appeared back in the doorway and Ryan tore his eyes away from the paper, but not fast enough for her to not catch him staring at it.

"Ever seen it real thing before?" I was just a little kid when the announcement was made. It shocked a lot of us. But after everything we heard had happened, it seemed the right thing to do. After all, were closer to freedom now than we ever were. It won't be long now I can feel it. I find myself dreaming about the sky some nights." The monster shook her head as if to clear it and then set two large rectangles down on the counter. "Now I really am rambling, huh? That's hardly important. Here you are. There's these two and I got two more in the back still. Will they fit the bill?"

Ryan examined them top to bottom. They were speakers alright, he had been doubtful for a moment. A little old, but definitely in working condition as far as he could tell. He told the monster as much. "I'll need one other thing too." He started to explain. "Another box, slimmer, with knobs on the front that most likely would look a lot like the speakers. It may also have been with them."

"I did see something like that." The monster nodded and disappeared into the back again, reappearing much quicker this time. She set another box on the table. "This it?"

Ryan nodded. It was all starting to come together. "Now about that other matter," The monster went on. "What sort of advice can I offer you? If I like your questions, I may even knock the price down a bit on everything else." The rabbit flashed him a mischievous grin that would have given Loox a run for his money. Ryan swallowed, wondering if it had been wise to come here after all.

 

A short time later Ryan walked through the streets with an even bigger grin than he had on before. The speakers he had bought were safely tucked away, and more importantly he had some assurance from the other rabbit monster that his plan would work. There were just a couple more things to take care of, though he still was not really looking forward to any of them. The next would be the worst, but he had to get that out of the way as fast as possible. The shop owner had agreed to send Sallie on some sort of errand so he would not be discovered. He had to act quickly.

He was torn from his thoughts as the wind was knocked out of him. One second he was looking towards the forest, the next his head was buried in the snow. "Greetings, strange puppy." Said a whispery voice he recognized. The weight that held him down disappeared and he was brought to his feet. As he had thought, it was Dogamy and Dogaressa that had knocked him over, but what surprised him was that most of the other dogs were there as well. The two before him had their hoods up over their eyes as they usually did and were only vaguely facing his direction. "The dogs request your presence, strange puppy." Dogamy went on. "We are having a dog celebration and all dogs should be in attendance."

Ryan scratched his head awkwardly. "Um, sorry. As much as I'd like to, I have something else I need to do that's really important."

Dogaressa seemed to sniff the air before her and then she elbowed her partner in the side as he began to raise a complaint. "We understand, strange puppy." She told him. "Matters of the heart always take precedence. We wish you luck, and will see you in the future."

The group started to walk away leaving a slightly confused Ryan behind. _Where is everybody getting that from?_ He thought. The clock was ticking, the rest could be figured out later.

He had seen Sallie come out of the store where she and her mother worked several times, so he knew where it was. It was a tailor, if he remembered correctly. He had never been in it either. Sallie had treated that idea like it was worse than the dome falling on all of their heads. Now, he was certain he had some idea as to why. He swallowed as he pushed open the door.

A small bell rung as he did and a voice came from another room. "Just one minute." It said. "I'm a bit short handed at the moment. My sister came by and snatched my daughter away for one reason or another." A monster entered the room that, in almost all ways but the color of her fur, looked like an older version of Sallie. The rabbit smiled deviously as she saw him. He opened his mouth to introduce himself, but it seemed to be unneeded. "Well this is a surprise. Sallie was very clear she would never allow us in the same room together, and yet you came all on your own. I suppose that's why my sister seemed giddier than when she was a child, yes? And why she just happened to steal my daughter away before you show up? Then I take it you went and saw her first? Good. It saves me some trouble. So tell me, child, what exactly do you plan to do with Sallie? Careful now, answer wrong and you may find yourself lost in one of those caves you like to explore so much for a long time."

Ryan swallowed again. If he made it through this day, he would not be going outside again at all for a long time.

 

Sallie was not quite sure what to expect from the note, it was vague: _meet me in the square, as a show of thanks._ Nothing on who sent it or anything. The square in the center of town was dark, they had turned off the lights on the tree and somehow the absence of that color after so long made the place feel less open. She wondered why they would turn it off as she heard snow crunch from around the other side.

The rabbit monster jumped as she saw who it was. It was Ryan wearing a striped shirt as always, but he had a black button-down over it now. It looked like her mother's handiwork even from there. Did she have a part in this? Ryan walked up to her with that awkward smile on his face, like he did not know what he was doing, and simply said, "Hey."

Sallie's heart skipped a beat. She was even more clueless about what was going on here than he looked. Her head swam. Did he leave the note or is this just coincidence? Did someone put him up to this? "What are you doing here?" She finally managed to ask.

"I wanted to thank you for how nice you've been to me and all the help you've given me." He told her, his smile unwavering.

"Oh, no," she denied, "there's nothing to thank me for. I just did what any monster would do, really."

"Sallie, you've helped me through some tough times, tougher than you'll ever be aware of, I think. You were always there with a smile and a distraction right when I needed it and a helping hand when no one else was there. So when I sent you that note," it was him, "I thought I'd surprise you."

He clapped his hand together in front of him and the square filled with light. The tree came back on, its strings of color brighter than they ever had been before. They pulsed slowly on and off in random patterns that reminded her of stories of flickering stars she read about when she was younger. Even more strings of light hung from the trees and the buildings, all connecting to the tree in the square. She couldn't help but gasp.

He then waved his arms out to the side and from his hands sprung ribbons of light coalescing into tiny sparkles that hung in the air all around them. "Would you like dance?" He asked, extending a hand out to her. "Though, I warn you, I'm not very good."

Sallie was frozen in silence, though the night suddenly felt warmer than she could ever remember it being in the forest. Try as she might, she could not move. She thought it was because she could not figure out whether to take his hand or just jump into his arms. _You're ruining it, you idiot! Just do something!_ Slowly her hand moved towards him. This time, he waited until her hand rested in his before stepping up so they were mere inches apart. With the motion, music began to fill the square and they started to dance.

Ryan had lied. He was very good. As the two of them stepped a twirled around the tree in their own private heaven, Sallie was able to let her instincts take over and let her mind drift. The light swirled in her vision and the music warmed her as much as Ryan did himself. How many perfect moments like this had they shared? If she went up to herself a year ago and listed all of the things she had done in such a short time, she would have laughed at herself.

The song flowed seamlessly into another, slower than the first. Their dance slowed with it. Sallie laid her head against Ryan's chest, willing time to stop. She was happier than she thought possible. It really was like a fairy tale. She looked up at the man. Ryan was smiling down at her the way he always did. It was a smile that seemed to hold his laughter and say "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."

Without thinking, Sallie started her head up closer to his. She was sure her intent was written all over her face, but he did not pull away. She came closer and Ryan started to lean towards her as well. Their eyes locked; she was close enough to feel his breath brush against her face.

At the last second, Ryan turned his head. Letting her go, he turned his back on her as well. Sallie almost wanted to cry. "What's wrong?" She asked, somehow managing to make her voice not sound choked.

For a moment, he said nothing, back still to her. Finally, he said, "I've been lying to you, Sallie. I'm not who you think I am. I'm not _what_ you think I am."

"What do you mean?" Could all of it have been I lie?

She heard him sigh. "I guess it's better if I just show you."

Before she had time to question what he meant by that, Ryan turned back to face her and lifted up his shirt. Beneath it, in his chest, was something that should not have been there. Sallie took a step back without thinking. The red, heart-shaped glow could only mean one thing: "You're-"

"A human." Somehow, hearing him say it only solidified it further for her; it made it real. Suddenly it was like all of the cryptic puzzle pieces slammed together. This was the reason he skirted around so many questions, the reason he was so vague about his past. He was not just trying to make himself seem more mysterious, he had been hiding this. "I'm what every monster hates and fears so much." He continued.

Sallie had no idea what to do. A part of her wanted to run, but she quashed it, hating herself for even thinking it. Finally she asked, "How did you get down here?" Her voice was definitely choked that time.

"I fell, some time ago now, and was lucky enough to find myself in the company of a monster who gave me a fighting chance. But it doesn't change anything; I'll never be able to fit in down here. And the longer I stay the more likely I'll be discovered, the more betrayed everyone will feel and the more trouble you'll all get into." Ryan turned his back to her again. "I understand if you hate me. I wouldn't blame you. I'll be gone and out of your hair soon enough anyway. So don't-"

Ryan felt something impact with his back. He flinched in response to an attack and was surprised when the feeling stayed. Arms wrapped around him and he could feel Sallie shaking against his back. "You're you." She choked through tears. "And some stupid light in your chest doesn't change that. Nothing will ever change that! If you meant us monsters any harm, you wouldn't have spent so much time laughing with us, helping us. And I'm sure others will feel the same. I don't want you to leave, ever." She squeezed him tighter.

He was shocked, yet somehow not at the same time. He did not deserve this; there was no logic behind it. Yet somehow, he was forgiven once more. Maybe he had been wrong. Maybe fate had something else in mind for him. Somehow, he managed to turn himself around while still in Sallie's arms. "It's not that simple." He explained. "I've lived this lie before. And not matter how monsters saw me beforehand, they still came to hate me for what I was."

"Is that why you came here?"

"It was part of the reason, yes."

Sallie pulled away just enough to look him in the eye. "That doesn't matter. I know the people of Snowdin. They'll come to see that what you are doesn't change who you are, I know it."

Ryan shook his head. "I can't tell them. I can't go through that again."

"Then don't!" She almost yelled. "It doesn't matter. Either way you have me." She put her head back to his chest. "You'll always have me. So stay, please."

Ryan wrapped his arms around the monster and held her close. He was not going anywhere. But he could tell her that later. For now, he was content to just stand there in the square, lights dancing around him, and happiness wrapped in his arms.

...

Things grew calm, routine; everything settled and the more it settled the more Ryan enjoyed life. He liked the routine, found happiness in the day to day repetition. His guilt lessened day by day as well, memories he pushed back stayed there and faded from his mind. So that on the day Snowy's father showed up one afternoon at Grillby's, he did not see just what it would mean for him.

"You!" The Snowdrake shouted almost as soon as he was in the door. Ryan had been delivering drinks to a table at the time. He looked up at the monster and set the tray he carried against the back of a chair. The monster looked ready to tear the place down around him. Several of the other monsters at the tables slunk away from the drake as he crossed the room over to where Ryan stood, an act that clearly pained the monster yet he did it anyway. "I am getting sick and tired of hearing stories from my son about how someone keeps filling his head with all of these nonsense ideas and false hopes."

Ryan decided against what he was going to originally and picked the tray back up off the ground. He walked over to another table and began to clean off the plates and glasses that were left behind as some monsters had run off when the Snowdrake had come away from the door. He purposely ignored the monster who went on regardless. "But it seems my son no longer listens to a word I say, thanks to you. So now I'm telling you, stay away from my son. Okay? You're a bad influence on him, and I don't need this getting worse than it already is."

Ryan brought the tray back to the counter before he started wiping the table down with a rag he kept over his shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Papyrus poke his head in through the door. The skeleton read the situation immediately. Ryan gave him a slight nod and the skeleton disappeared again.

"Are you listening to me? I said-"

"I heard what you said." Ryan told him, finally looking up from the table. "I heard you loud and clear. Here's the thing, though: it doesn't change anything. You have absolutely no say over what I do and who I chose to spend my time with. Just like you have no say in what your son likes and what he chooses to be in life."

Grillby had stepped up from behind the counter, ready to intervene if there was to be a problem. Ryan waved him off and the fire monster stayed back warily.

The drake's eyes narrowed, his feathers bristled in anger and he pointed a wing at Ryan. "Now, you listen here. I am the boy's father, and I will not have-"

"If you really were his father," Ryan interrupted, "then you would be encouraging Snowy no matter what he showed interest in. You wouldn't be tearing him down every chance you get and making him have to run away from home just to get away from your disapproval! He wouldn't have to go to some stranger because it made him happier than being with his own dad!"

Ryan realized he had gone too far immediately, but the monster had had this coming and he was determined to speak his mind on the matter. The drake's look flashed to shock for a moment before turning back into icy rage.

A spike of ice appeared in the air and flew towards Ryan. With a wave of his hand, the spike split in two and impaled the floor to either side of him. The monster growled and flapped its wings, jumping back at the same time he shot a blade of ice at Ryan. The blade evaporated into steam before it came within a foot of him.

Ryan saw Grillby move to jump in again and he put up a wall to block the monster off. He would handle this, and he did not need the extra risk to think about. Tying off the shield, he turned his attention back to the Snowdrake. At this point, anyone else that had still been in the restaurant to watch what would happen had run off. In the now empty room, Ryan sent a gust of wind at the monster in the hopes of knocking him out. Tables and chairs were kicked up into the air, falling on their sides and scattering everywhere, some of them broke and Ryan could feel Grillby beating against the invisible wall. The spell did not affect the monster though. The drake flattened its wings against its body and its snowflake crest against its head, using its aerodynamics to weather the attack. It dug its claws into the floor and slid back mere inches.

The monster wasted no time. As the wind settled, he opened his mouth and a beam of blue light shot at Ryan. He dodged and the beam hit the wall behind him, freezing whatever it touched instantly.

Seeing that this had gone on long enough, Ryan began to spin air around the monster, making it thicken against his limbs and picking him up off the ground. He shoved the Snowdrake against the wall as he finished wrapping the monster in invisible bonds. But that did not stop the monster from using magic. Spikes of ice filled the room, each with point faced towards Ryan and they flew towards him before he could tie off the spell to keep the drake to the wall and defend himself.

But the spikes all shattered before they could hit him, and a figure now stood between the two. Wearing dull, metal plate with a tail of red hair sticking out of the helm, there was only one monster it could be. "Stop!" Undyne shouted to the both of them. "What has gotten into you two? I thought Papyrus had gone crazy when he called to tell me what was going on. And yet I find you two fighting like a couple of insane humans!"

"Undyne, I-" Ryan began to explain, but the monster pointed a gauntleted finger at him and he went silent.

"Shut it." She told him. "I'll deal with you in a moment." Undyne turned her attention back to the other monster, still tied to the wall by Ryan's spell. He let the drake go as Undyne came close and he dropped to the ground. He did not move as Undyne leaned in close. "This is the second time something like this has involved you now, Mr. Drake. Pretty soon I'm going to have to get the king involved." Undyne's voice betrayed no emotion, she simply sounded like she was simply stating fact and it only made the threat seem more real. Her voice then gained a touch of sympathy. "I understand that you lost your wife recently, but there is no excuse to be acting like this. You should be home with your sons. I'm sure they could use their father right now."

The monster must have still been furious indeed. For he looked up at the soldier and said, "Why don't you ask your incompetent scientist friend when she's going to give me my wife's dust back, huh? I'm sure she wants to be home with her sons too."

A spear appeared out of thin air and into Undyne's hand. With a roar, she thrust the spear into the wall barely an inch from the Snowdrake's head. "You're lucky I'm still in a relatively good mood." She said. Her voice dripped with venom that made the drake's sound like he was a giggling child. "Go home. Hug your kids. And don't let me catch you causing any more trouble." She pulled the spear from the wall and the Snowdrake almost flew out of the restaurant.

Letting out a breath, Undyne turned her attention to Ryan. "You, explain." She demanded, and Ryan told her what had happened including that he was waiting for her to show up and tried to minimize the damages until she did. The monster looked around the room in response to that. "You didn't do a very good job of that, did you?" The monster began picking up a toppled over chair next to her. "Come on, help me clean this up."

Instead of reaching down to grab anything himself, Ryan raised his arm. With it came all of the chairs and tables, floating into the air to shift and settle where they had been before the fight broke out. He gathered anything broken into a ball and placed it in the trash behind the counter. Once he was finished, the room looked little different than it had before. Lastly, he let the shield around Grillby drop. Still half expecting the fire monster to attack him himself, Ryan went up to him hesitantly. "I can't do anything about the scratches or the broken chairs." He told the monster. "I understand if you take them out of my pay." The monster just nodded back to him and left through the back room.

Undyne was still holding the chair she had picked up off the ground in her hands. It was the only one not back where it should be at that point. She placed it upright next to her. "Alright, that was impressive." She told him.

 

The two walked back to the skeleton brother's house together in relative silence. The clink of Undyne's armor counted the seconds for Ryan in his head. The monster had her helmet off now, tucked under her arm and she seemed to be thinking about something. Finally, she spoke up.

"Don't tell Papyrus I said this, but I want to make you an offer."

"What kind of offer?" Ryan asked, curiosity slightly outweighing his fear.

"To join the Royal Guard." Ryan almost missed a step. "That was some impressive magic back there, and from what you told me, you handled that situation like a seasoned veteran. We could use someone with your talents."

Ryan's head swam. He had never thought about something like this happening. What could it mean? How could this change what might happen? Maybe this was a better way. But then, the memories of the time he had spent here came back, and they ultimately made up his mind for him. "Sorry, Undyne, but I don't think…" Ryan trailed off as he saw Chilldrake running up to the two of them. He did not look happy, in fact he looked more worried than he had then first time Ryan saw him.

"What's wrong?" He and Undyne said simultaneously.

The monster practically tripped onto its face to reach them. "It's Snowy. He's gone again. And this time it's bad."

The two looked at each other and nodded before following the drake back towards the center of town.

 

Undyne may be a monster who was aggressive and wild whenever she had the chance. But that night she proved just how disciplined she could be when she needed to. The captain of the Royal Guard took control immediately upon the two of them reaching the square in town. Most of the residents were already gathered there. Ryan saw Chilldrake, his father, **sans** , Papyrus. A crowd had formed. He did not see Sallie among them. Undyne quickly got reports from everyone who had seen Snowy recently, though it gave them little to go on. The young monster had apparently left a note telling both Ryan and his brother not to look for him this time and that he would not be coming back.

Within minutes, they were split into teams of two in order to search the forest. Ryan and Undyne were one of them. He told her about Snowy's hiding spot, which almost started another fight between him and Snowy's father. After tempers were quelled, Undyne said that the two of them would search there first. The rest of the teams were given sections of the forest to go through in case they were wrong and, without delay, they were off.

"Papyrus tells me you're fast," Undyne said to him after they were a ways into the forest. "We've got a bit more ground to cover than anyone else, how about we pick up the pace?"

Ryan nodded. "You set it. I can keep up." He told the monster, and without further invitation, she blasted off into the trees.

The monster was certainly fast herself. Ryan was able to keep pace with ease, confident that he could outrun her if needed, but much faster and he would not be able to keep it up for long.

They covered the distance to Snowy's hidden camp in minutes. A quick search revealed no trace of the monster. If Ryan had to guess, he had not been there in days.

"You sure he would have come here?" Undyne asked as she immerged from his igloo.

"I can't think of anywhere else he would have gone." Ryan told her, trying to hide how out of breath he was.

"That doesn't bode well." She sighed.

Then started to circle out from the area, searching every crack and crevasse the monster could have gotten himself stuck in, checking under every pile of snow that looked like it could cover the drake. Hours later and a quarter of a mile out, they agreed that he must not be there. "Maybe someone else had better luck." Undyne suggested. "Let's head back."

The two watched the woods silently as they made their way back to Snowdin. They kept an eye out everywhere for the missing monster. A part of Ryan was thankful Undyne seemed too preoccupied to make conversation. But it was not meant to last. As the two were walking up the side of a cliff, Undyne decided that there must be no place for the drake to hide nearby, so she asked. "So, you're Snowy's friend, right?"

"I like to consider myself one, yes." Ryan said, repressing a sigh.

"You're handling this rather well, then. Calm, careful." She went on.

"You are aware this is not the first time Snowy has done this, right? The kid's fine; he knows how to stay out of trouble. He just has some problems he needs to work out his own way."

"I bring it up," the monster clarified, "because I'd like to re-extend the invitation to join the Royal Guard."

Ryan stopped a moment. He was leading the pack up the cliff and his back was too the monster. All for the better that she could not see the anger on his face. "Thanks but no thanks." He managed to say flatly. He kept walking.

"I understand, and it's your decision to make but, can I ask why?"

He nearly rounded on her, high risk of death or no. "Why not ask Papyrus? If you have an opening, give it to him. He's been begging for it for as long as I've known him."

The monster laughed. "You and I both know that won't work out." She was cut off from what she was about to say next by a rumble in the ground. They both froze. Ryan's eyes darted around for the cause. He heard, "Look out!" Before he was shoved and sent flying into the snow. A loud crash and crack followed.

Coughing and wiping snow off his face Ryan stood back up to see a part of the cliff had collapsed, blocking off the path. He ran to the wall of rock, half in a panic. "Undyne!" he shouted, trying to pull a massive boulder from the pile. "Undyne, are you okay?" He pulled the bolder away only to cause more to fall where it was.

"I'm fine." A voice coughed from the other side of the wall. She was alright. Ryan relaxed.

"What now?" He asked next.

There was silence for a moment, and then. "You keep heading back. I'll go a different way and meet up with some of the other groups. Keep an eye out."

Ryan nodded though she could not see it. "Okay." He said to her. "Meet you back in town."

As Ryan continued on his own, he was reminded of his first journey through the forest his first night here. Suddenly the silence seemed oppressive, but he pushed it aside. He had been trying to think of a reason Snowy would not have been in his secret hideout since they started making their way back. It made no sense to him. If the monster was missing there was no other place he would have gone. He agreed with Undyne: it did not bode well.

He reached the top of the cliff and looked out over the familiar plateau. No wonder he had been reminded of his first night. This had been a part of the path he had taken then. There were many paths to and from the town of Snowdin. None of them were direct and this was certainly not the most of them. **sans** had lied about that, but he at least gave a half-joked apology for that one.

The plateau where he had met one of the dog sentries was empty tonight, though. The dogs had all been sent to search a different part of the woods. As he tried to think of who would be close he heard a voice, too soft to make out what was said, but clear enough to tell it was not a shout of joy. Ryan was off in an instant. Trees rushed by as he raced towards the direction of the sound. When he was certain he must be close, he stopped and listened.

"Help!" The voice shouted. It was Snowy, and he was close. Ryan went to the edge of the rise and looked down. There he was, on a small platform about a quarter of the way down a sheer cliff. He had one wing clutched to his side and was looking around in a panic.

"It's okay, Snowy. I'm here!" Ryan shouted and the monster looked up.

Relief washed over his face. "Ryan." He said almost reverently.

Ryan leaped down to the platform and looked over the small monster. He kept away from the wing he kept still, it was definitely broken. Ryan could see light peeking out of the feathers. Other than that he seemed fine. "Snowy what happened?" He asked the monster. "Almost the whole town is looking for you. And when I didn't find you at your hideaway, I thought the worst."

Ryan could see now that the monster was crying. He looked up at Ryan apologetically. "I'm sorry," He started. "My dad came home and he started yelling at me and told me to stop talking to you and I told him no, so he stormed off and I was sad so I ran away and there was this talking flower and it-"

"Talking flower?" Ryan interrupted. Maybe he just had not heard right.

But the monster nodded. "Yeah," he went on, "It told me about this place I could go where everyone would laugh at my jokes; somewhere I'd really be appreciated. It told me if I followed it that it would show it to me. And then I woke up here."

Ryan stiffened. A chill went through him that had nothing to do with the snow. "Let's get you back to town." He said as he gently picked up the small monster. "We need to get that wing fixed." In a single leap, he jumped back up to the top of the cliff, landing gently in the snow and careful of Snowy's injury. He began his way back when the monster spoke up again.

"Ryan, the flower…"

"It's okay, Snowy. We'll worry about that later."

"It's here."

Ryan froze. Turning towards the deeper part of the forest, he saw Flowey sticking out of the frozen ground, looking up at the two of them with the same maniacal grin he hadworn before.

"Howdy." The flower's serpentine voice dripped with venomous hatred. Ryan looked back down at it with a one he suspected rivaled it for intensity. "You've been getting quite comfortable, haven't you? Now, I thought I made it clear last time that I wouldn't let that happen."

"And I told you that you have no control over me." He was already walking away when the flower peeled with laughter. Snowy shook in his arms with fear.

"You naïve idiot. I have more control than you realize. A few whispered promises to your friend there, a few fallen rocks, and here you are, all alone. I finally have you all to myself."

Ryan noticed the vines around him just a split second before they shot up from the ground to try to stab at him. With practiced effort, a razor sharp wind picked up and minced the vines into a pulp. Green liquid stained the snow, and Snowy continued to shake in his arms.

Ryan thought he heard a hint of pain behind the flower's laughter that time. "I see you've learned some new tricks, but I guess that's only to be expected from a _human_. They always did have a better grasp on magic than monsters." Ryan ignored Snowy's quiet whimper of "Human?" He kept his eyes locked on the flower. "But it means nothing. You are still powerless in my wake."

More vines shot out of the ground. This time Ryan incinerated them in a vortex he brought up around himself. But as his focus was on them, more shot up from within the circle of flame and went straight for Snowy still in arms. Ryan turned and the vines hit him in the side hard enough to force his spell to drop and to knock him from the edge of the cliff.

The wind rushed by Ryan as they fell. Snowy was silent in his arms, his eyes closed. He could not tell if the monster had fainted or was simply trying to shut it all out. There was nothing Ryan could do to slow their decent. The blow had made him lose concentration on his power and he felt ready to pass out himself. He did the only thing he could do. Wrapping his arms tight around the monster, he tried to save him from harm and hoped to whoever may be listening that there was a lot of snow beneath them.

Pain shot through Ryan's body before everything went black.

 

He was not sure how long it had been when he came to. He had to cough air back into his lungs and the simple act of sitting up was an extraordinarily painful effort. Snowy was gone, no longer in his arms. A winding path of prints in the snow told him where the monster had gone. Struggling to his feet, he followed after.

He felt weak, weaker than he had after fighting Papyrus. It seemed like a lifetime ago, he had forgotten what it felt like to push himself too hard. He searched his pockets for some sort of food he may have stashed away and forgotten about. A safety precaution against just this that he had thought of some time ago. He found half a granola bar he had gotten from Grillby and ate it as if he had not seed food in a year. Instantly he felt better. Still exhausted, but he no longer felt the need to be leaning on trees to stay standing.

A ways ahead, he found Snowy collapsed in the snow and he ran over to the monster, shaking him awake. When the drake finally opened his eyes, he struggled to get away, uncaring of his injured wing. "It's okay, Snowy. It's just me." Ryan told the monster but Snowy still continued to try to get away from him. "Snowy, what's wrong?"

Ryan let the monster go and he skirted back well out of his reach, looking ready to defend himself. "That flower wasn't lying." He said. "You are a human."

Ryan instinctively looked down at his chest. The glow of his soul showed through the wet fabric of his shirt. He had forgotten to redo all of his spells when he woke up. He tried to step toward the monster. "Snowy, I…"

"Stay away from me!" The drake screamed. And a familiar laughter rang through the trees.

"That's right, Snowy." Flowey said as he sprung up out of the ground behind Ryan. Ryan felt his determination return to him immediately and let out a jet of flame towards the flower. But when the spell tapered out, the flower was simply somewhere else. "He's a human: the hated enemies of monsters. He could kill you with barely a thought and has spent all this time trying to gain your trust; trying to fit in with monsters like the idiot he is!"

"That's not true!" Ryan shouted.

The flower laughed once more. "What else could it be? Humans are uncaring beasts." The words were all directed at Snowy, he could tell. "He is a threat to everything down here. But he's weak. Now's your chance. Think about it, how proud would your father be if you struck him down? If you were the one to help monsters finally be free of this place? You would be a hero. You would finally have the spotlight you deserve."

"Snowy, please." Ryan turned to the monster, but he could see from his face there was no use. The flower had him convinced. The looked of hated pained Ryan more than words could describe. "Snowy."

"I will protect my family from you." The monster said. Spikes of ice shot out of his uninjured wing. At the same time, he saw more vines closing in on him and he reacted instinctively, realizing his mistake a moment too late.

Fire erupted out all around him and the attacks disintegrated, but the trees were too close. They caught almost instantly; dry from decades of being in the still underground forest despite the snow that covered them. The fire spread quickly to anything near. This hiss of steam filled his ears as the heat made him squint. Over it all, laughter resonated with the chaos.

The tree behind Snowy caught and the heat made the ice monster scream. Without thought, Ryan hurled himself at the monster to get him away from the fire. They both rolled to the ground. Ryan scooped the drake into his arms and carried him as far from any of the flames as he could. Setting him back on the ground he found that he was, thankfully, unharmed.

Ryan stood, looking for a way out of the fire, and locked eyes with Undyne. The monster stared back. Anger turned her face to stone. Ryan knew without having to look down to know that the light in his chest was outshining the fire around him. They were both still; a wall of fire separated the two. Ryan looked down at Snowy for a split second and he saw Undyne take a step towards them. Seeing no other option, Ryan ran.

 

In little more than the time it took to blink, Ryan was back in front of the skeleton's house in town. It was silent, empty. No one else had made it back yet. No slower, Ryan went inside and grabbed his things. He went over to the fridge before leaving in order to gain some of his strength back. He was not going to take much, but before he knew it the fridge was empty. He had eaten the pasta and all and barely even noticed. He was still starving, and he had no idea if the food even made a dent in what energy he had used tonight. He could only hope. He refused to let go of his power to find out.

Back outside, he went towards his shed and ran into the first and last person he wanted to see at that moment. "Ryan?" Sallie's tired voice came from behind him. "What's going on? Where did everyone go?"

When he turned to her, she was still rubbing sleep from her eyes, but she immediately snapped awake when she saw the state he was in. "Are you crazy?" She asked as she ran up to him now. "If walk around like that, some one is sure to find you out. What's gotten into you?"

Ryan had changed into dry clothes while he was in the house, keeping a spare there just in case. But he had not rebuilt the magic that hid his soul from view. He could not afford to waste even that much magic. And at this point, it did not seem to matter. He caught Sallie by the shoulders before she could reach him. He did not even know where to begin explain what had happened to her. "I need to leave." He said finally. Best to get that out of the way first. "I'm sorry."

"Why? Ryan, what are you talking about? What happened?" She tried even harder to get to him, but he held her back.

"Snowy went missing again; everyone's probably getting back from looking for him now. Something happened, an accident, and now Undyne and probably everyone else knows what I am. I'm sorry, I can't stay. I won't let you get dragged down with me." Sallie looked like she was ready to refuse whatever he had to say until the end of time, but it melted away. She stopped struggling against his grip. "Listen, Sallie." He went on. "There probably going to say I did some things. And I don't have time to explain what. But I need you to believe me when I say that I did not do it. I would never hurt anyone."

The rabbit was already wiping tears from her eyes. He had to go, any longer and he would be asking her to come with him. "Of course I believe you, you dolt. I'll always believe you."

Ryan could not help but wrap his arms around her. Embracing her, he could almost forget what lay ahead. "Thank you Sallie, for everything."

"Here," she said, pulling away from him, "let me get some things for you that might help." The monster jogged back in the direction of her home and Ryan disappeared into his own. He did not have much else, not that he'd be able to take with him. Sallie reappeared in the doorway as he was deciding what to abandon. "You can use this." She said as she watched what he was doing. She held out a backpack for him and he took it from her with a smile. It did not change her mood though; she still sounded like she would rather wake up and find this was all a dream. He could not blame her. He wished that he would too.

The two hugged once more when they were back outside. "I'll try to smooth things out on this end until you come back." She said, then pull her head out of his chest and asked, "You _are_ coming back, right?"

Instead of answering, he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead before pulling away. He did not dare look at her; he could not bear it. A moment later, he was gone.

A moment after that, he stood before the edge of the dome next to the mouth of the tunnel that led beyond Snowdin. The fog was appropriately drifting in from the stream nearby just as it had the night he fought Papyrus. It blocked off sight of the town behind him, making looking back impossible. He was thankful for that. Taking a deep breath, he went in.

The tunnel was dark, darker than his enhanced vision would adjust to. Strange… He had no idea how long he walked before he decided something was definitely off. The tunnel was too straight, too unnatural. He reached out to touch the wall that should have been right near his shoulder, but his hand only grazed air.

He wanted to use as little magic as possible, lest he need it down the line, but he saw no other option here. Letting the light form over his hand he floated it out in front of him. The light immediately revealed **sans** , sitting behind his sentry booth in the middle of the tunnel. Snow still clung to its roof and Ryan almost felt like laughing. He brought that with him on purpose, he was sure.

The skeleton was staring at him, waiting for him, obviously, and Ryan approached hesitantly. He did not know what the monster had heard yet. " **would it be rude to start with 'i told you so?'** " The skeleton began.

"A little, but you would be justified, I think." Ryan did not feel like this was a time for cryptically beating around the bush. "Listen, Sans, I-"

" **i'm thinking about going to grillby's, wanna come?** " **sans** interrupted, stepping out from behind the booth. He must have seen his apprehension, because he said, " **don't sweat, kid, you'll be fine. no one will see us. i know a shortcut** "

Knowing the question was merely a formality, Ryan nodded and followed the skeleton back into the darkness. Strangely, there was just enough light for Ryan to see the monster but nothing else beyond, nothing at all. It was almost like nothing was there at all.

A door appeared in front of them. 'Appeared' was definitely the right word. It did not fade it as it would as they walked closer. One second it was not there, the next it was. The skeleton opened the door and walked into Grillby's. Questions ran through Ryan's head as he followed behind, but he kept silent. The door closed after him. He turned back, but outside was the normal view of the main road of Snowdin.

**sans** went over to sit at the bar and Ryan followed, tearing his eyes away from the door. They sat in silence for an eternal minute. Ryan very nearly tapped his foot in his impatience. Just as he was about to start, the skeleton jumped it. " **so what do you think about my brother?** " he asked.

Ryan glared at the skeleton, aware of the fact that he knew full well what he was doing, but **sans** had his eyes on the bar. The entire place was empty, not even Grillby was there, and the silence stretched to uncomfortable lengths. "He's alright." Ryan answered finally, decided it would be better to just be pulled along. "A little much at times, but so are you."

**sans** chuckled. " **i could say the same about you** "

From the back room, Grillby appeared and set two plates down in front of both of them before disappearing into the kitchen again. Ryan did not even question the food; he simply began to dig in. **sans** offered him a bottle of ketchup, but he declined. The skeleton shrugged and shoved his plate over to Ryan before starting to drink straight from the ketchup bottle.

" **anyway, cool or not, you have to agree papyrus tries real hard** " **sans** said, resuming the conversation from before. " **like how he keeps trying to become part of the royal guard. one day, he went to undyne's house and begged her to let him be in it. of course, she shut the door on him because it was midnight** " Ryan laughed at that. " **but the next day, she woke up and saw him still waiting there. seeing his dedication, she decided to give him warrior training. it's uh, still a work in progress** "

"Obviously." Ryan added as he finished up the first plate and began working on the second. "What are you getting at with all of this?"

" **i wanted to ask you, have you ever heard of a talking flower?** " Ryan froze with food inches from his mouth. He dropped it, no longer hungry. " **i'll take your silence as a yes. they're called echo flowers, if you didn't know. they're all over the marsh in waterfall. say something to them and they'll repeat it over and over** "

Ryan did his best to still his body, trying not to betray anything. "What about them?" He asked.

" **well, papyrus told me something interesting the other day. sometimes, when no one else is around, a flower appears and whispers things to him. flattery, advice, encouragement… predictions; weird, huh? someone must be using an echo flower to play a trick on him. you should keep an eye out, okay?** "

Finally, Ryan decided the skeleton deserved not to be in the dark. "Actually, I know exactly what you're talking about and I don't think it's an echo flower."

" **oh? how so?** " The skeleton's tone made Ryan think he had already known as much, but he went on anyway.

"I have had a similar run in with it myself." Ryan told **sans** about what had happened just a short time ago, Flowey and all, leaving out only what he knew about the flower. The skeleton listen to the whole thing without saying a word and when he finished, he sighed.

" **so that's what happened** "

"I take it you believe me then?" Ryan asked.

" **i'll admit i had my doubts, you have two people whose stories don't exactly line up with yours, but you wouldn't have agreed to talk with me if you had actually done what they said, i think. also, a story that crazy has to be true. there's something you're not telling me, though** " Ryan froze once more. " **does this have something to do with that secret mission of yours? never mind, i don't wanna know. i trust you enough to leave it at that** " He stepped down from the bar. " **welp that was a pretty long break. i can't believe i let ya pull me away from work for that long** "

"You were working?"

" **of course. i was looking for humans, wasn't i? it just happened i found you** " **sans** began to walk toward the door, but he stopped. " **i'll keep an eye socket out for that flower of yours, ok?** " Ryan nodded, thought the skeleton's back was to him. " **i also take it you won't be coming back, huh? how about paying off your tab before you leave then?** "

"How much is it?" Ryan asked. His voice had a touch of somberness to it he could not hide.

" **about ten thousand g** "

Ryan snorted. "That's a bit more than I have unfortunately."

The skeleton shrugged. " **that's ok. i'm sure we'll see each plenty before this is all over. stay out of trouble; i'll be watching** " And the monster was gone.

Ryan turned back to the half-eaten food on his plate. He was still not hungry, but he was not in a position to let food go to waste. He cleared the plate before heading for the door himself.

As it swung open, it did not lead him back into Snowdin, but back to the mouth of the tunnel where he had started. Fog still obscured much of the forest, and the door was gone when he looked back. He did not give it a second thought, though. Taking a deep breath once more, he went in.


	13. Waterfall

Warm air rushed out of the mouth of the cave, much warmer than it should have been. The first time Ryan had stepped into the cave the air had been just as cold as it had been throughout the forest and the difference was certainly noticeable to one who had spent so much time there.

His eyes were also able to adjust to the more complete darkness now, the glow of his soul providing more than enough illumination for his power-enhanced sight. The natural cave had the look of being purposefully worn down for the sake of travel. Vague bumps on the ground and the ceiling of the tunnel were all that was left of stone spikes that had taken millions of years to form only to be worn away. The mouth of the cave was narrow and he could not make out much of what lay ahead. Ryan briefly wondered if this was actually the same tunnel he had entered the first time and whether or not **sans** had anything to do with it, but he pushed the notion aside. He had no time to waste on such thoughts right now.

Not for the first time, he thought about redoing the illusion to hide his soul's light, but it was not a spell that he could tie off and thus would slowly eat away at the energy he could not afford to waste. _The damage is already done anyway._ He realized. Surely at this point everyone in Snowdin knew the truth, and soon word would spread to the rest of the Underground that there was a human amongst them. If any more were to discover the truth, it would make little difference. He would be hunted until he was captured or killed. That is, if he could even survive the night.

Undyne was the most immediate danger. Certainly she had chased after him, which meant he could not stay there. He had to find a place to hide. Everything else could be figured out after.

Nervously, he adjusted the backpack Sallie had given him across his shoulders and an idea came to him. He took off the pack, rearranging the straps so that they both were slung over one shoulder and looped over the center of his chest. It wasn't perfect, but it was better than nothing. Whether or not being discovered made any difference, it would be difficult to hide if he was a beacon of red light shining for all to see. Giving his eyes a moment to adjust once more, and slightly less nervous than he had been before, Ryan went deeper into the cave.

Only the entrance to the cave was dark, he found. Just past where the edge of his sight had been near the mouth, the pocket in the rock opened up into a large cavern where over head the ceiling was glittered with the light of countless glowing crystals, giving the impression of a starry night sky. And immediately Ryan learned how Waterfall had earned its name.

The stream that nearly hugged the pathway to the edge of the dome in Snowdin emptied itself off a cliff near where Ryan himself had entered. The water reflected the light of the crystals above as it fell into a wide pool far below him that seemed to be filled with even more of the glowing rock. That pool emptied into two more pools below it and those into more below them. It was not the only stream to be a part of the cascade either. Along other parts of the cavern walls, more waterfalls added to the spectacle, some higher than the first and others starting lower down.

Ryan stood at the top of a path that wound its way down through the maze of flowing water. Mouth agape, he tried to take it all in. He had spent a good deal of time hunting wonders like this in the ruins and Snowdin both; to think this had been so close.

As his eyes wandered, he came to realize he was not alone. A shadow crouched by a large rock just a little ways down the path. It also seemed to be looking out over the cavern. Ryan would have been fearful, had he not recognized the figure. He walked up behind the yellow lizard kid and lightly bopped him on the head. "Yo! What was that for?" The monster said as he turned to stare up at him angrily. Though, when he saw who it was that was standing over him, some of the fierceness left his eyes.

"What are you doing here all by yourself?" Ryan asked the kid. Ryan had barely seen the lizard more than a handful of times since first arriving in Snowdin, but he knew his parents well enough; they were frequent customers at Grillby's, as were most. They had often talked at length about how their son's eagerness had the tendency to get him into trouble. He was not about to send the kid home for that reason alone however, but he certainly did not need him getting caught up in whatever was to happen.

"I'm trying to catch up with Undyne. I think I saw her come this way." The kid answered. Ryan twitched as he fought the urge to duck behind the rock as well, but he managed to suppress his sudden panic. If the monster was anywhere she could have seen him, he would already have a spear though him. So she was already ahead of him then, that made things more difficult.

"And why are you following her exactly?" Ryan thought he managed to hide the quiver threatening to bubble through his voice, but his mind was buzzing through a thousand scenarios at once, so he was not sure.

"There was this big thing going on." The kid began. "My parents looked all worried, but they told me to go back to bed, but I didn't. I saw out the window everyone gathered in town and being led around by Undyne and then they all left. And when everyone came back I saw Undyne run off saying something about a human. So I had to follow her, you know? I wouldn't miss seeing Undyne beat up a human for the dessert in the world! That's why you're here too, right?"

Ryan swallowed. The kid didn't know, but what he did know was little better. _All the more reason for him to not get caught up in things._ "If that's the case, then you definitely should be home. Humans are dangerous," Ryan clenched his teeth before going on, "and you do not want to get hurt if you happen to run into one."

"But-" the kid started to protest, but Ryan would hear none of it.

"No arguing. Or will tell your parents the next time I see them." He hated have to do this, but he knew it would be the fastest way to put the kid out of his mind and out of harm's way. A look of fear entered the young monster's eyes at the thought of the threat and then his head drooped in submission. He nodded meekly before starting to head back to the entrance of the cave.

Satisfied the matter was dealt with, Ryan looked back over the edge of the cliff to the path below. It wound off in several directions, he saw. Any one of them could be a dead end. Ryan almost ground his teeth that time. He was getting flash backs to the catacombs.

Just as he was about to begin making his way down, he heard the monster kid shout behind him, "You're not the boss of me!" and he turned in time to see the lizard jump off the cliff toward the water below.

Without thinking, Ryan jumped after, catching the monster in midair, but not fast enough to stop them from falling together. As they fell, the water seemed to go still next to them. Ryan hesitated only a moment before weaving a spell to slow their descent. The pair crashed into the lake of water no harder than if they had jumped from the shore. The water was warm – Ryan had braced himself against the alternative – and he wasted no time in swimming towards the shore once they had landed.

Ryan dropped the kid down beside him and turned to look back up to where they had just been. From the bottom, the drop suddenly did not seem as high. "Why you do that?" The kid asked as he shook water off of his scales. "I would have been fine. I make that jump all the time."

Ryan just frowned at the armless monster, too angry to even know where to begin telling him off. Instead he weaved a combination of air and fire to dry off himself and his clothes, then, after a moment, did the same for the kid's shirt as well. _So much for not using magic._ He thought, and then he remembered the backpack. He sprung to his feet and swung the bag off of his shoulders, worried whatever was in it had been damaged from the fall or the water. Opening the zipper, he saw that the bag was filled with wrapped sandwiches and a smile spilt his face. "You always pull through for me, Sallie." He said to himself.

"Who are talking to?" The kid asked, suddenly staring over his shoulder. In a panic, Ryan quickly wove the illusion to cover his soul. The kid did not seem to notice. "Wow, that's a lot of food. My mom says if you eat too much it's bad for you."

Ryan sat back down and began to unwrap one of the sandwiches, smile still on his face. "Nonsense," he told the monster, "you got to eat a lot if you want to keep up your strength." The sandwich lasted all of three bites and he pulled out two more, offering one to the young monster. Not surprisingly, the monster shook his head. Ryan had noticed that even the largest monsters did not eat more than once a day. In fact the only monster he had ever seen eat more than that was Toriel. He could not recall why that was, if he even ever knew.

It was not long before the bag was only filled with empty wrappers and Ryan stood up feeling invigorated even through the power he held on to. The lizard kid's expression became more disgusted after every sandwich and Ryan almost laughed in spite of himself. Strange as it may seem to the monster, it was something Ryan had definitely needed. That should be enough energy to keep him going for a good while at least.

Focusing back on the matter at hand, Ryan looked at where he found himself now. They were still a good ways from the bottom of the cavern and the path split off back into the rock of the cave in a dozen places before it even reached there. He frowned, and turned to the monster. Who was looking back up at him as if waiting for him to say something; Ryan had no idea what. "Do you know how to get through here?" He asked reluctantly.

The kid picked a foot up to scratch himself under his chin. "I might." He said in a tone that almost made Ryan reconsider what he was about to do. "I do come here a lot. But I thought I was supposed to go home?"

Ryan sighed. "If you help me get through this place, and point me in the direction of the capital, I'll help you find Undyne." He held up a finger before the monster practically leaped into the air again. "But we are still going to keep our distance! Or do you think Undyne will be happy to see you sneaking about in the middle of the night?"

It elicited a groan from the monster, but he did not protest. The kid walked over to the edge of the cliff and did his best to gesture at a path near the bottom. "The path to the capital starts down there." He said.

"And where do the rest of those go?" Ryan motioned to the rest of the paths.

The kid made a motion that Ryan interpreted as a shrug. "A bunch of places, monster's homes, dead ends, more caves like this. Nothing all that fun though. The cool stuff's all further in. So, do you want to take the long way or the short way?" the young monster looked up at him eagerly and Ryan raised an eyebrow at him.

"The dry way." He told the monster bluntly.

"Hmph, you're no fun." Without anything further, the monster started to walk down the path at the edge of the cliff and Ryan followed close behind. The descent was slow, the path winding its way beneath nearly every individual cascade of water. As they passed many of the branching paths on the way down, the kid pointed out things about what was down that way. Several monsters' names Ryan did not recognize passed his lips, and more besides. "Down that way there's this big hole that goes all the way down beneath the rock." He was saying at one point. "It's got this bridge over it so you can stand in the center, but you still can't even see the bottom of it. This one time, my friend from school wanted to see if it was a short cut to Hotland…" Ryan gave it all half an ear, his attention drawn to his surroundings still half in awe and half keeping an eye out for any reason to start running.

As they got closer to the bottom, the cylindrical shape of the cavern began to funnel all of the noise of the crashing water to them and it drowned out the kid's voice. When finally they made it all the way down, Ryan found himself staring back up in spite himself. The misty air that far down glittered in the light of crystals above and below the water. It reminded him even more of a starry night sky. The young monster nudged his legs to snap him out of his trance and push him along.

They followed the edge of the water where it all began to flow together once it had reached the bottom towards a large hemisphere that lead deeper into the caves. They crossed over a narrow part of the stream before reaching it. Finding a place where it was shallow and not moving too fast was not hard. They followed the tunnel a ways away from the cavern. The noise faded away behind them until just the sound of the water flowing lazily down to their right was the only other noise besides their steps.

The tunnel grew high above their heads until it became a large dome. More crystals embedded the rock above and illuminated a wide, flat plain ahead where the water split in to a thousand tiny flows to form a sort of marsh land. Tall grass and other plants made a screen that could hide practically anything and Ryan swallowed. The wall of rock next to them stayed close, but just a few feet over his head he could see that the rock went flat to form a shallow plateau.

"Come on, it's this way." The kid said before running towards the marsh. Ryan caught him by the head before he could get far.

"One second," he told the monster, looking out into the grass. "I want to get a better look at what's ahead."

Ryan could almost feel the kid rolling his eyes. "Whatever dude." He said before mumbling something about adults.

Ryan let go of the kid and he thankfully stayed put. He went over to the edge of the wall and jumped to grab the top of it. Sure, he could easily jump up to it with little thought, but not only way that a waste of energy; he was no longer completely reckless with this strange power of his. He pulled himself up until his eyes were just over the rise and immediately dropped back down.

"What's up?" The kid asked, but he did not get an answer. Ryan grabbed the monster, picking him up against his struggles. Scanning his surroundings, Ryan dove for a nearby patch of grass and tried to keep the two of them as still as possible.

"I've searched through this entire cave and there's been no sign of him." The figure he had seen on the plateau growled. He recognized Undyne's voice even with the distance. "Any luck on your end?"

"About that…" Another voice answered. It was Papyrus. "I've been thinking. Do we really need to capture the human?"

"Of course!" Undyne shouted back at the skeleton. "He holds the key to our future. With his soul we can finally be free!"

"But maybe we can wait for another human? That way we-" Another growl cut Papyrus short.

"If I cannot trust you to help me with this, then I will take the human's soul myself."

"But, Undyne, you don't have to destroy him. You see…" She said something to the skeleton Ryan could not hear. "… I understand." he said eventually. "I'll help you in any way I can."

The cavern went silent. The young monster was still struggling in his arms and was begging to mumble noises through the hand over his mouth. Ryan realized that the monster probably could not hear any of the conversation himself, so he gestured for the kid to be quiet, mouthing "Undyne" before pointing up to the rise.

The kid stopped struggling immediately and looked up over the grass in delight. Ryan followed his gaze. An armored figure stood at the edge of the rise, looking over the marsh below. Undyne's helmet made it look as if the monster was constantly staring right at them as her head scanned side to side. Unsure whether it would only draw more attention to them, Ryan quickly wove an illusion over the grass. Undyne's head snapped in their direction and Ryan let out a silent curse. The armored monster's hand rose slightly and light seemed to start to gather there, but she froze half way and glanced over her shoulder.

Her arm dropped, and with one last look over the grasses she walked back out of sight. Ryan waited until he was sure the monster was gone before untying the spell over them and letting the kid go. The kid dove out of the grass and was practically hopping in a circle.

"Yo, did you see the way she was staring at you? That… that was awesome! I'm so jealous. Come on; let's go watch her beat up some bad guys!" The kid started to run off, falling on his face before getting very far, but he was up and going again just as quick. He disappeared amongst the grass before Ryan could do anything to stop him.

Ryan sighed and pulled himself out of the grass as well. Brushing himself off, he tried to see over the rise, but he was sure the other two monsters must have been gone. "So, Papyrus got dragged into this too." He said to himself. "Guess I can't hold that against him."

He stepped back into the grass, trying his best to follow the direction the lizard kid had disappeared in. The monster proved easy enough to track once he found the first print in the muddy ground surrounded by bent reads and blades of grass. The trail led him to the other side of the marsh, to a crack in the rock that looked less like a path and more like an accident. Suddenly unsure of himself, he went in with a spell ready to strike at anyone other than the kid.

But the kid was the only one he found a little ways into the hole. He stood before another fairly large stream that fell into the cave from another hole a little ways above them. The slow moving water crossed over the path and the monster kid was staring across it, grumbling in frustration. "How about not running off like that again?" Ryan said as a way of getting the kid's attention.

The young monster turned to him and looked up like he had forgotten who he was. He had something in his mouth that fell to the ground when he opened it to speak. "Yo, could you give me a hand?" He asked in return. "We can get across if we lay enough of these flowers in a row." He gestured with a foot to the green bud that had fallen out his mouth before running further down the river and disappearing in the darkness. He returned with more of the buds in his mouth which he added to the pile.

Ryan picked up one of the buds and turned it over in his hand. He had seen it's like as a sketch in a book once or twice. They were Bridge Flowers, if the kid's description was to be believed. He looked down at the growing pile the young monster was making at his feet and then turned to the river, mulling over thoughts in his head. Slow as the water may be, it was not still. It would take time, and most likely more than one attempt, to get enough of the flowers chained together for them to cross. Conserving energy or not, he had to keep moving. "I have a better idea." He said aloud, throwing the bud over his shoulder.

The kid looked about to ask what he meant, but Ryan did not give him the chance. He picked up the monster in one arm and took three steps back from the water. He tried to judge the distance as accurately as possible; crossing it would not be a problem, but overshooting the far bank would be a waste. Deciding it was as close as made no difference to fifteen feet, he took his running start and leapt over the stream. He landed with a short skid and dropped the monster kid to the ground once he straightened.

The kid fell with a thud, landing on his rear, apparently stunned enough by what happened to not be able to move right away. When he finally did manage to move, he looked up at Ryan with awe in his eyes. "Yo, that was so cool! How did you do that?"

Ryan looked back at the kid skeptically. Why was everyone always impressed by what seemed easiest to him? "I jumped." He said as an answer, not sure what the monster wanted from him.

The young monster seemed no less impressed though. He launched into a tirade of words, all the while not breaking eye contact with Ryan. "I'd only ever seen Undyne jump like that before, and she'd said it had taken her years of training to do that. I've seen Undyne jump over the whole Snowdin Forest in one go before, but what you did was still pretty cool too…"

Since the kid seemed to be making things up at that point, Ryan clamped his mouth shut with a spell of air. "You were going to lead me to an exit, remember?" He mentioned before letting the spell go.

The kid's head dropped. "Right…" he mumbled before he started to lead away from the water.

The path remained relatively straightforward. Ryan had been worried it would be more of a trap filled maze like the rest of the Underground seemed to be, but they were moving through with little difficulty. The kid was telling Ryan a story of how Undyne once beat up his friend, but he was hardly listening; intent, instead, on making sure nothing caught them by surprise.

"No one ever comes this way." The kid said almost mid-sentence in his story. He must have noticed Ryan looking over his shoulder every other second. "I would be surprised if Undyne even knew it existed. Otherwise I would have been caught playing here a lot more often." The kid winced as he realized what he had said. "You never heard that." He told Ryan before turned back to the path before them.

The monster's words relaxed Ryan slightly, but he still found himself looking around every so often. _If Undyne doesn't know about this place, perhaps it would be a good place to hide for now._ He thought, but dismissed the idea immediately. There was no place he could truly hide in the Underground. Even if he were to wait until they thought he was dead, they would still search of his soul.

He could wait a time and use illusion to change what he looked like, start over again somewhere else – the capital perhaps – but then the same would inevitably happen again. His secret was not one he could keep forever, it seemed. There was only one place he could go.

A soft light grew ahead of them and the burble of flowing water echoed over the rock once more. They emerged into a cavern which had several streams splitting and converging across the ground which rolled up and down across the cavern's length. Large, glowing mushrooms filled its edges, giving the room an atmosphere that made Ryan feel he had stepped into a fantasy novel. The duo jumped the various lengths of water at its narrowest points before Ryan's phone rang. He pulled in out of his pocket. For a brief instant he thought it might be Toriel, but he did not recognize the number across the top of the screen. No one else had his number that he knew. At least, no one down here. "Hello?" He answered, putting the phone to his ear.

"Hello! This is Papyrus!" The skeleton's voice on the other end responded.

Ryan's eyes widened. "Papyrus, how did you get this number?" He had never given it to the skeleton.

"It was easy! I just dialed every number in sequential order until I got yours."

Ryan did a quick calculation in his head. "You would've had to go through over five million numbers to get to mine and I haven't even been gone an hour yet. I ask again, how did you get this number?"

"Alright, alright. Sans told me. So… what are you wearing?"

"Papyrus, we've been over this…"

"No, I'm… asking for a friend. She thought she saw you wearing a striped shirt and jeans."

"Ignoring the fact that's what I _always_ wear, does this 'friend' happen to be the one that I'm currently trying very hard to avoid?"

"It is indeed!"

Ryan sighed and pinched his nose in frustration. "Paps, what are you doing?"

There was silence on the other end for a moment, and then, "I heard what happened in the woods. Or at least what everyone is saying happened. But I don't believe you could hurt anyone. And I'm trying to make Undyne see that. That way we can all be friends like I hoped. But to do that I need both of you together, which means I need her to be able to find you. So, is that what you're wearing?"

"I'm not answering that question."

"So it is not what you are wearing?"

"I'm not answering that question!"

"Alright, information received, that you very much."

"Papyrus, I'd like to remind you that I am physically capable of punching you through this phone." The line went dead.

"Who was that?" The kid asked as Ryan put his phone away with a sigh.

"A friend." There was a note sarcasm in that statement he had not intended.

"Can you actually do that? Punch people through phones?" The kid asked almost eagerly.

"No, but I'm pretty sure I'm frustrated enough to figure it out if I tried hard enough."

The two continued onward until they came upon a room with the ceiling high above their heads. Like the entrance, numerous crystals embedded in the ceiling gave off the look of stars. The light some even seemed to twinkle as they faded in and out of existence. "A long time ago, monsters would whisper their wishes to the stars in the sky." A voice came as Ryan was staring up at the sparkling lights. He looked around for the source. The only other thing near them was a softly glowing blue flower. A low murmur of voices seemed to emanate from it as he went closer. Ryan guessed it must be an echo flower. "If you hoped with all your heart, your wish would come true." It went on. "Now all we have are these sparkling stones on the ceiling…"

"That sounded like my teacher." The kid said when the flower started to repeat itself. It then started to repeat the words the kid had just said.

"Wishes, huh?" Ryan said to himself.

"Don't you have a wish? Everyone has a wish." The kid looked up at the ceiling. "I wish I can grow up to be as strong as Undyne!" Ryan watched the kid with a somber smile. "So, what's your wish?" He asked.

Ryan looked up at crystals himself. "Nothing that can come true." He told the kid.

"Oh, come on! That's not how it works. You got to believe if you want it to happen. So, what is it?"

Before answering, he went to sit with his back against a nearby wall and looked up at the fake night sky again. "I wish I could silence the doubt in my head, to know that what I'm doing is right."

The young monster sat down next to him. He looked slightly puzzled. "That sounds like something you need to figure out for yourself." He said. "What are you trying to do anyway?"

"I don't really know anymore." Ryan answered without looking down.

"Well, there's your problem then, I think."

Ryan chuckled. "Have you ever had someone you'd do anything for, but you don't know why?"

"Dude, I'm like, twelve."

"Fair enough. Well, I have two people like that. Both are trying to lead me down very different paths, and I'm starting to think both of them are impossible. That's the best way I know how to explain it." But he felt he had only deepened the monster's puzzlement.

"You're weird." He said, and Ryan laughed in full at that. The kid went on, saying, "My dad always says 'you can do anything if you work hard enough for it,' so you just got to keep trying."

Ryan finally took his eyes away from the lights above, smile still on his face. He felt just a little bit more confident than he did a moment ago. Looking down at the young monster, he patted him on the head. "You got a good dad, kid."

"I know. Come on, we got to find Undyne, remember?"

The kid got up and ran ahead of him again. Ryan made sure to keep him in his sights this time as he stood up himself. The kid led him to another end of the cavern that turned into another tunnel where he stopped short of a dead end. "You get lost or something?" Ryan asked the monster. He shook his head. "You sure? It looks like a dead end to me."

"It's not." The kid told him. "Watch this." The monster took a step back then ran towards the wall. Just as Ryan thought the kid insane, he watched as the kid seemed to phase right through the wall. In an instant he was gone. Then he poked his head back through the still solid-seeming wall. "It's a trap." The disembodied head said. "In case a human comes through here, it's meant to confuse them. Pretty cool, huh?" The kid's head disappeared again.

Ryan stared for a second before saying to himself, "All aboard, platform nine and three quarters, I guess." He stepped through. The wall did not shit or ripple at all; it just gave way around him. On the other side was what could have been a completely different world. They stood, now, on a wide wooden dock built over a large marsh. Tall, subterranean plants grew out of water that radiated a blue similar to the mushrooms and crystals throughout the other parts of Waterfall, but it was much brighter. It was also noticeably warmer once more. Ryan was beginning to regret wearing so many layers for once. He blinked and the black over shirt he had been wearing dissolved into thin air. A trick Sallie's mother had unknowingly taught him. He just hoped he could remember how to bring it back again. He really liked that shirt. He removed one of the striped shirts as well and stuffed it into the backpack. While he was busy getting cooler, he noticed the kid had walked away and was looking at a drawing on one of the walls. It looked to be part of a wide column of stone that cut a large circle out of the middle of the marsh. The wooden dock surrounded the rock and the phosphorescent drawing seemed to cover nearly the whole thing. Ryan walked up behind him to see what it was. It looked like a bunch of stick figures, similar to examples he had seen of ancient cavemen drawings. There were words around it written in the same pale blue in a language he did not understand. "What is this?" He asked the kid.

"It's a story." The kid said. "The War of Humans and Monsters." Ryan looked down the wall. The writing wove through similar pictures down its length until it curved out of view. The young monster started to read, sounding as if he were standing in front of a classroom. "It says, 'Why did the humans attack? Indeed, it seemed they had nothing to fear. Humans are unbelievably strong. It would take the soul of nearly every monster just to equal the power of a single human soul. But humans have one weakness. Ironically, it is the strength of their soul. Its power allows it to persist outside the human body, even after death. If a monster defeats a human, they can take its soul. A monster with a human soul… A horrible beast with unfathomable power. The power to take their souls. This is the power that the humans feared. This power has no counter. Indeed, for a human cannot take a monster's soul. When a monster dies, its soul disappears. And an incredible power would be needed to take the soul of a living monster. There is only one exception. The soul of a species of monster called a Boss Monster. A Boss Monster's soul is strong enough to persist after death, if only for a few moments. A human could absorb this soul. But this has never happened. And now it never will.

'The humans, afraid of our power, declared war on us. They attacked suddenly and without mercy. In the end, it could hardly be called a war. United, the humans were too powerful, and us monsters, too weak. Not a single soul was taken, and countless monsters were turned to dust.

'Hurt, beaten, and fearful for our lives, we surrendered to the humans. Seven of their greatest magicians sealed us underground with a magic spell. Anything can enter through the seal, but only beings with a powerful soul can leave. There is only one way to reverse this spell. If a huge power, equivalent to seven human souls, attacks the barrier it will be destroyed. But this cursed place has no entrances or exits. There is no way a human could come here. We will remain trapped down here forever. However, there is a prophecy. The Angel, The One Who Has Seen the Surface, they will return and the Underground will go empty.'"

Ryan stepped away from the wall, now at the mural's end. The final script surrounded an image of many figures entering a castle under a mountain. Above the castle, the Delta Rune stood proud and prominent. It was almost as large as him. He whistled. "It's just what we learn in school." The kid said with the same motion he made earlier that reminded Ryan of a shrug.

There was a problem, he realized. The dock wound all the way around the mural, but there was nothing beyond that. It simply circled back the way they had come. "What now?" Ryan asked.

"Hold on, there should be a… There it is!" The kid was looking out over the glowing water and Ryan tried to follow his eye. He noticed something floating towards them over the water. It was a small, wooden platform, and as it reached the edge of the dock the monster kid jumped on and said, "Sorry, room for one. It'll come back though." The platform began to move once more, back in the direction it came, and soon the kid was lost amongst the plants. Ryan waited impatiently, glancing back at the mural every now and then and hoping the kid would not run off this time. He was sitting down and tapping his foot on the surface of the water before he saw the platform coming back again.

He stepped onto it as soon as it reached the dock and it lurched away in response to his weight. The square of wood moved swiftly over the water, and "over" was the proper word. Ryan looked underneath the platform and saw that it did not touch the water at all but skimmed a fraction of an inch over its mirrored surface. Ryan tried to figure out how it would be possible to recreate such a spell as the platform slowed and turned around patches of grass and algae before pick up speed again.

Spells, he had learned, had conditions to be able to be tied off. First, they had to be tied to an object in order for the spell to be moveable. Otherwise, it would simply be locked in the position in space it was tied to originally. This restricted spells like shields and illusions to being maintained consciously if you wanted to go anywhere, though with practice the act came as naturally as breathing. It did not stop them from eating away at his energy, however.

Second, the object you tied it to had to be simple; consisting of a single – or at most a few – materials as the method of tying the spell varied slightly between them. This prevented him from tying spells to himself. It was possible, in theory, but it would be incredibly complex. It would also limit what the spell was able to do. Although, thus far, he had only managed to tie off spells able to do one or two things at most, yet he had seen spells – old spells – capable of doing countless things under countless conditions or triggers. He still had a lot to learn, he knew, but the thought did not discourage him. It only made him more eager.

A few moments later, Ryan could see another dock come into view. He stood back up and hopped up onto the ancient timbers as they came close. The platform drifted away as soon as he was off.

The kid was nowhere to be seen. Ryan let out a breath. He wished the kid had some patience. The dock extended out in front of him, heading straight to the edge of the marsh. The kid could not have gone any other way. When he reached the end he almost called down the connecting tunnel to the monster, but something made him reconsider. Something tickled at the very edge of his perception. He had not been paying attention to the slight changes in the air current because of all of the changes in temperature and the falling water, but somehow this ripple felt different. It was less significant, a vibration he could only associate with the movement of a person. Perhaps it was only the kid, but he did not trust that luck. He stepped in warily, wanting to be somewhere else as fast as possible.

He had barely made it three steps out of the tunnel and into another marsh before a blue spear pierced the wood at his feet. He jumped back. Another spear flew towards him. This one, he dodged and it embedded itself in the rock behind him. The haft of magic-wrought metal stuck out where his head was a moment ago. Tracing its path, Ryan saw a figure in full armor standing between columns of rock at the water's edge. Run, a voice in his head screamed, and he did just as a third spear appeared in the monster's raised hand. He did not look back, he could hear spear after spear digging into the wood behind him, but he did not look back. He willed his legs to move faster as the dock started to twist and turn. He jumped gaps where he could, but he soon found himself facing his attacker. Several spears flew towards him at once this time. Ryan reached out and willed a shield into existence, an invisible barrier of air saturated with enough power to make it as solid as steel, to block the spears. It did, the armored figure almost seemed shocked through its helmet. For a moment the spears stopped. Ryan took full advantage and ran even faster than he thought possible of him.

A large patch of tall grass appeared before him. Not knowing if he was still being chased, he dove into it. He crawled deeper into it hoping he would not be found immediately and lay perfectly still.

For a while, he heard nothing. He was about to move to a different spot when he heard the clink of metal approaching. He tried to press himself even further into the ground. He realized too late that he had not thought to weave an illusion. Undyne was definitely too close not to notice one being made now. The steps got closer and closer; close enough that he could see a shadow over his head. The noise stopped, he did not dare look up.

"Gotcha." A voice said.

Ryan flinched, but nothing happened. Now he chanced a look. The armored figure was practically on top of him. It held something in its hand. It was the kid; Undyne had him by the head. Despite his situation, the kid had a huge grin on his face.

Without a word, the armored figure dropped the kid and stomped off. When he could not hear the steps any longer, Ryan crawled slowly to the other side of the weeds. The kid poked his head out the same time as him and whispered, "Did you see that? Undyne just touched me! I'm never washing my face ever again!"

"Good for you kid." Ryan told him, still steadying himself after what had happened.

"Man, are you unlucky." He went on. "If you were laying just a little bit to the left…Yo, don't worry. I'm sure we'll see her again. Let's go!"

"Wait!" But the kid was off running again, vanishing in the dim cave before he could even finish the word. He felt like running himself, to be honest; not wanting to be anywhere near there anymore.

As he made his way through the cavern, the ceiling stayed high above. The crystals continuing to twinkle just like the stars in the night sky even Ryan only vaguely remembered. When he looked away, Ryan could almost believe it was the same sky. He was only half surprised to find **sans** near the edge of the water, looking through a telescope at the ceiling. "I should have figured you'd still be following me." He told the skeleton as he approached.

**sans** looked up and acted vaguely as if he had not expected to see him. Ryan was not buying it. " **i have no idea what you're talking about** " He said anyway. " **you're imagining things again, kid. i'm just thinking about getting into the telescope business** " Ryan raised a skeptic eyebrow, but the skeleton ignored him and went on. " **it's normally fifty thousand g to use this premium telescope. but, since i know you, you can use it for free. howzabout it?** "

Ryan walked up to the telescope, keeping his eyes on **sans** , sly smile never slipping from either of their faces, and pressed a finger to the eye piece. He held out the finger to the skeleton, purple ink covering part of it. "I know you better than that, Sans." He told the monster.

The skeleton shrugged. " **you got me** "

"I was actually hoping to run into you." Ryan jumped in before the monster could steer the conversation somewhere pointless. "I saw your brother talking with Undyne." He said simply.

**sans** would not be goaded, however. " **so?** "

"So, what do you make of that?" Ryan tried instead.

" **you don't think he's suddenly back to hunting you down and capturing you, do ya?** "

"No, he told me as much himself."

" **then what do you want to know?** "

Ryan just looked at the squat skeleton for a moment, hoping he would give more away, but it was futile. "What I want to know," he said finally, "is if it came down to a choice between me or her, which side he would land on."

**sans** almost chuckled, but it sounded forced. " **a choice between his idol and oldest friend and a human whom he barely knows? the answer should be obvious, i'd think** "

"I figured you'd say something like that." Ryan commented.

" **besides,** " **sans** went on, " **if you plan to keep your word, it shouldn't ever come to that, now should it?** "

Ryan lost hold on his self-control immediately at the accusation. "You expect me to just let her kill me without defending myself? As much as I don't want to hurt anyone, there are a lot of monsters who want to hurt me. Do you just expect me to take it with a smile?"

**sans** own smile still did not slip, but there was a note of anger behind his voice now. " **some advice, kid? anger doesn't suit you. you wield it like an infant with cudgel. i thought you had a better handle on yourself than that. and i KNOW that you have enough of a handle on your power now to keep undyne off of you without doing something stupid and getting someone hurt** "

Ryan smirked, though his anger still boiled. "That almost sounded like a compliment, Sans."

" **kid, as much as you seem to doubt it, i am on your side. papyrus is too, i'm sure. and we will be until you prove to not be a man of your word. and if that's the case,** there isn't a rock you can hide under. **but until then we will do what we can to help you, whether that be getting out of here, saving whoever it you're trying to save, or something else. we like things being peaceful around here just as much as you do** "

Ryan let his anger die. "I'm sorry." He said. "You're right, and I trust you two. This night has been crazy."

" **that it has** " The skeleton agreed.

"Hey, did you happen to see a kid run past here?" Ryan asked the monster just as he was about to continue on his way."

" **short, yellow lizard with no arms and a striped shirt?** "

"Yeah."

" **nope, haven't seen him** " Ryan crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the skeleton. " **he went that way** " **sans** told him finally, pointing down a tunnel a little ways away. Ryan nodded and left the monster to his business. Whatever that happened to be…

Not far into the tunnel, it split off into two directions and Ryan groaned. I seemed **sans** could not miss a single opportunity to frustrate him. Wasting no time, he took the path that went off to the left and found himself in a small cave that was occupied by a familiar face.

The tall blue rabbit monster was leaning over his read and yellow cart much the same way he had been the last time they met, though he perked up a bit as he saw Ryan approach. "Hey, I was hoping to see you again." He said.

"What are you doing in here?" Ryan asked him.

His expression dipped once more. "I relocated my store, but there are still no customers… Fortunately, I've thought of a solution: punch cards! Every time you buy a Nice Cream, you can take a punch card from the box. If you have three cards, you can trade them in for a free Nice Cream."

"Sounds like a good tactic." Ryan complimented.

"So I hear you're dating my sister?" The monster said next, catching Ryan off guard. Monsters: can small talk your ear off for days, but are still unafraid to just jump right into things. Ryan did not think he would ever get used to that.

The monster's face gave away no emotion with the question and Ryan was not sure whether he should lie or make a run for it. These kinds of conversations were never pleasant. Instead he decided to skirt around the topic. "So I take it you're related to Sallie then?" She didn't ever mention having any direct siblings. Then again, she never talked about her family that much at all, except to tell him that he should avoid them at all costs.

"I am." He answered simply, still betraying no emotion. "I'm not home all that often nowadays, business to keep afloat and all that, but we still stay in touch. And she's told me a lot about you.

"You're trying to run away from her, aren't you? Too afraid of that kind of commitment, huh? I get it, kid, I really do, but from what she's told me I think you two would be great for each other. I think it's high time you take a look at your priorities in life and realize this is a good thing for both you and her. Sallie's a good person, but she's too erratic. She needs someone to keep her grounded. And I know you're a nice guy, so… Where am I going with this?"

At some point, Ryan realized once the monster had trailed off, the rabbit had put a hand on his shoulder, which he shrugged off uncomfortably. He took a step back from the cart and said quickly before the monster could piece together his thoughts. "Listen, it's been great talking and all, but I have a kid to catch before he gets himself killed. So how about we pick this up later?" Ryan was already turning to walk out of the tunnel before waiting for an answer. A shout of "You already have a kid?!" followed him out and made him walk even faster. The monster could believe whatever he wanted to believe.

Out of curiosity, Ryan took a moment to walk back to the mouth of the cave. Not surprisingly, **sans** was gone. Instead, another monster stood close to where he was. The small white tear drop looked up at the crystals in the ceiling with tiny black eyes, the sparkle reflected off their surface. It looked up at the sparkling ceiling almost longingly.

"Aren't they pretty?" The monster said.

"Yeah, they look like stars." Ryan answered and the monster turned to him.

"What's a star?" It asked. "Can you touch it? Can you eat it…? Can you kill it? Are you a star?"

As strange as the questions were, Ryan let them slide. "I'm not much of anything, kid." He told the monster.

"Do you think we'll ever see real stars?"

Ryan dropped his gaze, and he turned away before answering, "I don't know… Maybe it's still possible." He went back into the tunnel leaving the monster to stare dreamily at the ceiling again.

He came upon another marsh, the water giving off a bright glow similar to the others. Ryan looked over the edge of the water and saw his reflection staring back at him. He looked tired and knew his time was limited. The food may have helped to keep him from exhaustion for a bit, but without sleep he would still pass out from it eventually.

More wooden docks connected several small islands over the top of the water and blue echo flowers covered many of them. Ryan scanned the cavern before moving on. There was no sign of the kid still, but there was no Undyne either. He went in, silent as he could manage.

"So? Don't you have any wishes to make?" The first echo flower said as he approached.

"Hmmm, just one, but… it's kind of stupid." The echo flowers seemed to have captured two monsters' conversation perfectly as they walked by. Ryan tried to keep pace and remain as quiet as possible.

"Don't say that! I promise I won't laugh." There was a pause at the next flower and Ryan stopped to wait.

"I wish I could see real stars." It said quietly. By the next echo flower, Ryan thought he could hear faint laughter. "Hey you said you wouldn't laugh."

"It's just funny… That's my wish too."

Ryan could almost picture in his head the two monsters walking by just as he was. He imagined it was him and Sallie walking across the islands. She smiled brightly as she looked up at the twinkling lights in the rock above them. Ryan sat down against the wall of the cave on the other side of the marsh. "If only you knew…" He whispered, careful his voice was not picked up by any of the flowers. "That world is no better than this."

He blinked and a scene formed itself on the ground before him. Miniature versions of the monsters he had come to know stood in a crowd, standing opposite a group of faceless humans. The monster in the front held out a hand to the humans. In a flash, all of the humans had guns pointed at the monsters and Ryan let the illusion fade into mist. "In fact, it's much worse…"

As he stood up, he made a decision: he could not die in this place and let the monsters use his soul to go free. Not because he was being selfish, not because he felt he needed to do something more important; he would not let his friends die in that unforgiving world. He would not doom them to that fate, not without a fighting chance.

Just then, his phone rang. "Hello, Papyrus here!" The skeleton said when he answered.

"Hey Paps, what's up?"

"Well, remember how I had asked about your clothes for a friend? Well, it turns out this friend who wanted to know, her opinion of you is a little too… murdery."

"I figured as much."

"Well, worry not dear human! Papyrus would never betray you. You said you were not wearing a striped shirt so of course I actually told her you were indeed wearing a striped shirt. It pained me to tell such a bold faced lie. But since you aren't wearing a striped shirt she surely won't attack you! Now you are safe and sound. Wowie, this is hard. I just want to be everyone's friend!"

Ryan smiled. "I know bud. Thanks for the help." After the phone clicked off, he looked down at his striped shirt. An illusion could fix that easily, but he was already using too much magic as is. And would it really make any difference? "I guess that's my own fault." He said to himself "Come on Ryan, you made it this far… Where the hell did that kid go?"

He thought he could hear rain. Not a downpour or the roaring water of another fall, but a light trickle; a drizzle that reminded Ryan's of the times he would sit on his front porch and read in the silence of the early spring. He felt drawn to it.

The water fell from a series of cracks in the top of the tunnel. Dripping from tiny spikes and landing in small puddles on the ground. Against one if the sides of the cave, almost seeming like a part of the wall itself, was a statue. Most of the details were weathered away, but Ryan swore it looked like an old suit of armor. He could also see something inside of it. A thought came unbidden to Ryan's mind and he started to look around. Nearby, around a corner, there was a basket of umbrellas he knew would be there. He took one.

He went back to the statue and found a place to prop the umbrella up between it and the wall. The umbrella now blocking the rain, Ryan could see that there was a music box in the center. But it was broken, more rust than anything else. Ryan let out a sad breath and sat down next to the statue. Digging his phone out of his pocket, he put on a song he knew he would remember until the day he died and let old memories flood his mind.

Ryan was not sure how long it was before he felt a presence tickle his perception again, but he knew he must have fallen asleep at some point. Before he could open his eyes, he felt something brush up against him, physically this time. He lashed out without thinking, a torrent of flame burning away whatever threatened him.

He opened his eyes just in time to see thin vines recede back into cracks in the rock. A golden flower grew to replace them across from where Ryan sat. The flower smiled up at him like he had already won a game no else even knew they were playing. "So now I get to deal with you twice in one night?" Ryan's voice was filled with cold hatred, but he kept himself calm. He would not be caught by the flower's tricks again.

Flowey chucked, its whole body shaking while its face was frozen in its twisted smile. "Oh, but you're just _so_ interesting." The flower said in the sugary voice it had used when they had first crossed paths. "How could I possibly stay away?"

"You can stop trying to scare me." Ryan told the flower. "I'm not afraid of you."

"Then that's the second biggest mistake you've made down here." The flower tried to move closer to him and he pushed it back with a wall of fire.

"And let me guess, the first is thinking that you'll leave me alone?"

The flower laughed again. Ryan didn't shiver at the sound that time. The thought that he might be getting used to it made him queasy, though. "Why would I not play with one of my toys, puppet? Especially one that can do as much as you. Just letting you sit around would be a waste, don't you agree? So I have to keep pulling you along every now and then. It's your own fault, really. If you just did as you were told, you would have saved yourself and everyone else a lot of pain."

The monster paused to chuckle once more. "I'll let you in on a little secret, maybe that will push you along. Before you came here, I had real power over this world. I bent it to my will as easily as you breathe. And every time you become stagnant some of that power returns to me."

"If that were true, why not just kill me and be done with it?"

"Because I've grown bored of this world." The flower said as if it were obvious. "You're the first thing of interest to fall down here in a long time. And you open brand new doors for the future. You will lead me to an even greater power. I will make sure of it."

Ryan stood up and loomed over the flower. "I will not play to your tune anymore, and there is nothing you can do to hurt me that will change that."

"There's more ways to break a person than just pain, my naïve puppet, and nearly all of them are so much more fun. And I _will_ break you." The flowers face shifted to something Ryan could only describe as demonic. Against his wishes, he took a step back from the creature. "You hide a darkness inside you, one you try very hard to deny. It's a darkness I know very well, because it is not your own." The flower seemed to be looking through Ryan, as if there were something over his shoulder, invisible only to it. "I know you're in there somewhere, brother, and I will get you back."

"Enough!" Ryan shouted, unleashing more flames to destroy the flower once and for all. But as they died, the flower's laugher echoed through the tunnel. "Mark me, brother," its voice seemed to resonate in Ryan's head, "I will get you back."


	14. Spear of Justice

Ryan's heart pounded as the flower's last words echoed into silence. His first instinct was to cast a light that would banish all of the shadows from the tunnel that seemed to all be waiting for him to turn his head so they could strike, but he hastily reconsidered. There was no reason to draw unnecessary attention, and he could protect himself from that damned flower, whatever it said. The conversation echoed in his mind, _you will lead me to an even greater power._ It seemed the creature truly would not let him stop moving. "I will put an end to this." He said to himself. The echoed whisper of his voice through the tunnel made it sound like Flowey's voice coming back to him. "All of it." He went on. "I just wish I knew how."

He turned back to take one more look at the ancient, worn statue. Water continued to drip down from the web of cracks above it and onto the umbrella he had placed over it. The tapping sound almost made him feel at ease again. Almost. There was still the kid; he was still out there somewhere and thoughts of the danger he might be in made his panic almost return. He had fallen asleep for at least a short while, was the kid alright still? He knew he should not have let him run off like that. Turning away from the statue, he continued his journey through the tunnel. If anything did happen to the young monster, he would never forgive himself.

A bit further into the tunnel, Ryan came across another area where water steadily dripped down from high above. He went back and grabbed another umbrella from the holder. The drizzle became heavier as he went on, and soon it had become a full downpour. Water streamed down off the umbrella making it so he almost missed the figure that was hiding inside a small cutout of rock. Shrouded in shadow, he knew that whoever it was was too small to be Undyne. Casting a small light, he let it drift over to the hole and let out a sigh of relief when he saw it was the kid. "Took you long enough." The monster said once he too realized who it was.

Ryan wanted to pick the lizard up and shake him. "Kid you're going to give me a heart attack."

The monster looked at him sideways. "What's that?"

Ryan changed what he was going to say. "A figure of speech." He told the kid instead. "Now, why do you keep running ahead, exactly? And what the hell made you decide to stop here?"

The kid dropped his head. "I'm sorry. I thought I saw Undyne come this way, but then I just got wet…"

Ryan went over to stand inside the cutout with the young monster and felt his shirt. He was definitely soaked again. Weaving the same spell from earlier, he dried the kid off and added in his own little trick to help warm him up a bit. The kid smiled up at him. "Come on," Ryan said with a touch of weariness as stepped back into the underground rain. "We should keep going." He held the umbrella out for the kid to stand under and the young monster joined him underneath.

They walked side by side for a while; the few times they had to turn down a branching path were far between and did not require the kid to lead all that much. The tunnel eventually opened up again so that the path they walked rimmed another large lake from which grew scattered echo flowers and a strange glowing algae. Ryan briefly wondered what in this cave system caused everything to glow the same pale blue when the kid spoke up. "You know, you're really nice."

Ryan chuckled. "So everyone keeps telling me." He took two more steps before he realized the kid had stopped. The young monster was looking up at him irately. "What?"

"'When someone compliments you, you're supposed to say thank you.'" The kid lectured.

"Thank you. But I'm inclined to disagree." Ryan turned to keep walking again but the kid stopped him once more.

"That's not up to you. You can't decide whether you're nice or not. Only other people can say if you are. I mean, you can try to be nice, but that doesn't really make the difference."

Ryan thought about it for a moment. "You make a good point, kid. If that's the case, then I must be nice."

"Yeah, you're pretty cool, too." The kid went on as they finally resumed walking. "Not as cool as Undyne though. Undyne is _so_ cool!" Ryan rolled his eyes and let the kid go on. "She beats up bad guys and never loses. If I were that human, I would wet the bed every night knowing she was gonna beat me up."

"Do that many monsters cause trouble for her?" Ryan asked.

"No, she's just more strict than anything else. She once threw my friend across one of these lakes for forgetting to say 'excuse me' when he bumped into someone. I swear he bounced on the water at least twice." The young monster turned to gaze out over the water. He slowed for a second before running to get beck under the umbrella. "Do you like flowers?" The kid asked suddenly.

Ryan was surprised he did not stumble before saying. "I can't say I'm that big of a fan, no. What makes you bring that up?"

"The king always seemed to really like flowers. You remind me a lot of him, though I only met him a few times. One time, we had a school project where we had to take care of a flower, and the king – we had to call him 'Mr. Dreemurr' – volunteered to donate his own flowers. They were these big yellow things that he said came from the surface. They were definitely unlike any other flower I'd seen grow down here. He ended up coming to school and teaching the class about responsibility and stuff. He looked at those flowers like he really cared about them. I always wondered why. He kinda just disappeared sometime after that…

"But anyway, that got me thinking, 'yo, how cool would it be if Undyne came to school?' She could beat up all the teachers! Well, maybe she wouldn't beat up the teachers. She's too cool to ever hurt an innocent person. Anything like that happen when you were in school?"

Ryan stared out over the water as well. They had stopped again. "I was your typical 'fake rebel' when I was in school." He said. "I was always doing everything I wasn't supposed to that wouldn't actually get me in any serious trouble, though I did hang out with a few people who had the tendency to. Skipping class, mishandling school property, climbing on things that shouldn't be climbed; stuff like that was the daily routine for me and my group of friends. It got to the point where they just didn't care what we did anymore. They must have thought 'they'll either be fine, or just hurt themselves and it will be they're own fault.' At the time we thought it was awesome. We had a longer leash than everyone else and motive to take advantage of it. In hindsight, I realized that they just gave up on us. The people who were meant to help us grow up and learn gave up on us. Kinda sad really…

"I probably could've used someone like the king coming and teaching me about responsibility. Might have made something click in my brain a lot earlier than it did and maybe I would have wasted a lot less of my life on stuff that doesn't matter."

"'We are who we are because of who we were.'" The kid said after a moment. "My dad told me that once. He said it means that we shouldn't wish for the past to different, otherwise we wouldn't us, we'd be someone else. If you hadn't been like that in school, you might have gone to work at the core or something instead of coming to Snowdin. We would have never met, and I don't think you would have been as nice either."

Ryan smiled and put a hand on the young monster's head. "Kid, you're really good at the whole motivational speaking thing. You should think about making a career out of it."

The kid ducked out from under his hand and very angrily said. "Screw that, I'm gonna be a Royal Guardsmen!"

Ryan chuckled again. "Then I think that trait will help you even more. Come on, Undyne's gonna get away at this point." _If only I were that lucky,_ Ryan added to himself.

As they walked on, the rain thinned out a good deal until Ryan thought that the occasional drip he heard hit the umbrella rendered it pointless and he found himself holding it over the kid more so than himself. He did not dislike the rain, just being damp. And now that he could boil any moisture off his skin in an instant, he felt he could enjoy it even more. Ryan's mouth split into a smile at the thought of all the almost pointless doors magic could open for him.

His mind came back to reality as they exited another tunnel into a place that Ryan almost mistook for the surface. Far above their heads were lights that glittered more like the night sky than any other cavern had come close to replicating; he could even pick out familiar constellations from its midst. There was no discernable curve to it either, or rather the curve was what it would have been had he crossed his gaze from horizon to horizon on a crystal clear night in the world above. The light gathered strongly in its center, forming the familiar shape of the arm of the Milky Way. It was more than just the pale blue light of crystals as well. Fogs of orange and purple filled the spaces between the pseudo-stars and the color of some of the lights themselves seemed to change faster than his eyes could discern.

It must be intentional, he realized; a spell to replicate the night sky as it was remembered from a thousand years ago cast onto the stone of the largest dome in the Underground. A point of light shot across the illusion as he stared at it, fading from white into yellow and then leaving only the after image on his eyes. Ryan was certain that if he waited until morning he could watch the arm of the galaxy fall to the horizon. He remembered a dream of running beneath a cloud-dappled sky that he knew to be fake, and he was certain this would do the same as the sun above the mountain rose into the actual sky. It was the most complicated use of magic he had ever seen, and it put him awe from both its beauty and its intricacy.

But what truly put him in awe was what lay below. From where they stood, high on a cliffside on the far edge of the dome, much of what filled it was shrouded in darkness. Small clusters of lights first gave the impression of a reflection of the dome above, making him think it was a giant lake. But the longer Ryan looked the more the light of the imitation stars wrote the outline of an immense city. It was easily twice the size of the ruins and even in the darkness Ryan could discern similar landmarks to that of the ancient city. There were some noticeable differences, however. Artificial lights and neon signs filled windows and streets, growing in density the further to the opposite side they were. Many of the buildings themselves were a hybrid architecture of medieval castles and early twentieth century New York City. And the bustle of such a city seemed to reach his ear despite the silence of the late night as he watched tiny spots of movement below. The heights of the buildings varied but none came close to what dominated the other side of the city's edge: a castle from a bygone age in true, the blue-topped towers of pale gray stone climbed up the side of the dome until some reached almost eye level with Ryan from his spot on the cliff. The lights from the buildings around it made the castle seem dark by comparison. Even the lights from the fake stars seemed to dim around it. Down the middle, a staircase rose to its center much like the stairs that led out of the ruins to Toriel's home.

"There it is." The young monster said as he looked over the city himself. "At least you can be sure I'm taking you the right way, right?"

Ryan did not answer, eyes glued to the castle still immense even as it was nearly a league away. It was within reach, he realized. He could jump down to the buildings below and be there in minutes. _And do what?_ The silent question did not come unexpectedly, but it struck him like a hammer blow all the same. He had not given a moment's thought to what he would do if he made it this far. He would go to the king, and then what? It had all seemed so simple in the beginning. He need only do things differently and…

"Come on. The path's down is this way." The kid broke Ryan out of his trance once more and he allowed himself to be pushed to the other side of the cliff and back into the tunnel in the rock. As the view of the city vanished, a palpable fear lifted off of his shoulders. He had not been aware just how sacred he was at the sight of it.

"That city could hold millions of monsters, easily." Ryan mumbled.

"Yeah, it's hard to believe a place like that could ever get overcrowded when you see it from up there, but once you try to walk through the streets it's pretty obvious. Hey wait, I thought you came from the capital."

"I never said that. Everyone just sort of assumed I must have."

The answer seemed to satisfy the monster. He went on, "Besides, if you think that's big, imagine how big the surface is if this is all under one mountain. I wonder what it looks like."

"You got that on the brain too?"

"Of course. Once Undyne catches the human and takes their soul, we'll be even closer to the surface. Everyone's saying it won't be long now, and then we'll take the world back from the humans and spread out all over. Well, maybe we won't spread out too much, not at first anyway."

The rain had stopped completely, Ryan noticed. A little ways further there was another holder for umbrellas and Ryan deposited his in it. He noticed that far fewer occupied the one on this side than on the other. Pillars of stone rose to all different heights around them; some of them were barely even a foot wide in places while others were wide enough to fit homes on them. Many had wood and rope bridges connecting their flat tops ringing their middles. The space between them was air for hundreds of feet down before it became a much narrower, fast-moving river. Form where Ryan stood, at the edge of this giant ravine, it looked like a huge maze of bridges weaving back and forth, up and down. The far side was not visible from where they stood. Ryan traced back a number of bridges until he finally found one that connected to the cliff near where they were. It was just up over a ledge next to them.

"Need a boost?" Ryan asked the kid. The young monster nodded. Ryan held out his hands and the kid stepped up on to them so Ryan could toss him up to the top.

"I'll go look ahead." The kid said once he had landed.

"No, you'll stay right there!" Ryan shouted back, but the monster was already out of sight. "God damn it." Ryan jumped up to the platform as well and, not surprisingly, the kid was nowhere to be seen. "How does he do that?"

He had no choice but to start trying to find his own way, keeping a wary eye out for the kid as he started to walk across the bridges. Some of them shook greatly under his weight and he wondered if this was really safe. It was not long before the path split into multiple directions and he had to guess which would take him to the other side. Several times he had to turn back, other times there was another bridge close enough to the dead end that he could jump to it and continue some amount of progress. He was not sure how long he had been walking or how many bridges he had crossed when he saw blue circles of light appear at his feet. He jumped out of the way just as they shot out of the bridge as a wall of spears.

A trap? No, Ryan realized. If it had been a tied off trap it would have triggered immediately, but it had taken a moment to build up which was why he was still alive. That meant the caster was close. Ryan scanned his surroundings. There.

Undyne, in her full suit of armor, stood on another bridge below him. She stared up at him with her helmeted visage, arm outstretched towards him. The hand clenched into a fist and Ryan instinctively jumped back before more spears burst to life out of the wood. Not waiting for another wave, he started to run.

Circles of light followed him to the end of the bridge, but he was able to outpace her magic with ease. He came to another pillar and stopped. The path split and he was forced to turn down a direction that crossed several bridges below him. Undyne was chasing after him, but he would not give her a chance to catch up.

The spears began to appear in front of him as well, but Ryan was well practiced in dealing with things like this from training with Papyrus. He wove his way through most of the spears and those he could not dodge by going through he jumped over. That bridge inevitably came to an end as well and Ryan barely stopped before choosing another. The process repeated over and over, and Ryan hoped against hope that his choices were taking him the right way.

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Undyne was getting closer to him. An idea hatched in his mind. He slowed down just slightly and waited for the spears to erupt before him. As he went past the cluster, he reached out and grabbed one of the lengths. He felt it snap from its base and he quickly spun and threw it back at the monster. Ryan was almost sure it would hit, but it turned into mist just before reaching its mark. Swearing, Ryan started to run again. He knew the chances of that working were low, but he had been hoping to at least catch her off guard a little.

He came to another platform and stopped dead this time. There was no path forward, the only bridge connecting to this pillar of rock lead backwards. Ryan heard something hit the wood behind him and turned to see Undyne staring him down from the middle of the bridge. He was trapped. The monster began to walk up to him, slowly, as if savoring the moment. "Undyne, please, let me explain." Ryan tried, but the monster said nothing; she did not stop. Spears blinked into existence above and behind her, suspended in midair. They all pointed at him. He had to do something. He could not let it all end here, but if the monster would not listen…

Ryan glanced down over the ledge for a split second. The swift water far below was a dull roar behind the sound of Undyne's steps. "Give up, human." Undyne said finally, hatred filling the word 'human.' "You will die. It is inevitable."

Ryan stared back at the monster. All of his fear had washed out of him, replaced with a feeling of determination he had never known before. "I refuse." He told her, and he leapt from the ledge.

He fell backwards towards the water. Not for the first time, everything seemed to slow. He saw Undyne pear over the edge where he had jumped and he smiled. The roar of the water grew steadily louder in his ears. He wove a spell to slow his descent before hitting the water, but it made little difference. The powerful current swept him away as soon as he made contact with its surface. His limbs became twisted around him as the river spun him in circles. He quickly lost track of which was way was up. Rocks started hitting his legs and his back. His chest burned. For a split second he felt himself break the surface and he tried to suck in air, but he was too late and only warm, brackish water filled his lungs. He tried to cough but that only made it worse. Darkness crept in on the edge of his vision. His limbs went numb, he felt tired. Still, he continued to struggle until he could no longer keep his eyes open, until he could no longer remember why he was even struggling. His last thought before the darkness took him was that he needed to fight.

Ryan floated in nothingness. He could not move, though he knew for some reason that he must. He could not remember what had come before, but he knew that being here was not right. Suddenly a voice seemed to echo from everywhere at once. "Hey, are you okay?" It called. Hands seemed to reach out and shake him. Then, blurry color filled his vision. "It's okay. I won't you." The voice went on. The feeling of floating vanished; he was lying on the ground. Ryan blinked and the blurriness faded. A figure crouched over him. Somehow, he knew them, but he could not remember why or who it was. The face remained blurry despite everything else coming into focus. The figure smiled and a light from nowhere and everywhere at once filled his vision. "Howdy." The figure said. The voice was becoming distant. "My name is…" The last word was lost in a roar that came from somewhere else. The white light faded back into black and Ryan felt pain tear through his body and it pulled him out of the darkness.

He awoke and immediately turned to cough up what seemed like an ocean's worth of water. The roar of the river still filled his ears, and when he opened his eyes he saw why: A short waterfall emptied into a stream not far from where he lay. He was lying in the stream, he grasped. The water must have carried him all of the way to… wherever he was.

His limbs burned even through the numbness of his power which he had managed to hold on to even through that and he looked around him. What could only be described as trash was piled up near the edges of the stream. He recognized a few items that stuck out from the piles. He looked up above him. Emptiness filled the space above and there were no pillars of stone that he could see. He was nowhere near where he had jumped, he figured, and he did not like that idea.

Briefly, he wondered how he had managed to survive. And a look down at his feet told him he might not like the answer. He stood in a bed of golden flowers that were growing out of the water. He burned them all to ash before he even realized what he was doing. It took him a moment to suppress his panic before it could transfer to other things and then he looked up at the space above him again. Was it just another part of the same ravine or another pocket in the rock all together? It was too dark above to tell. He could cast a light bright enough to get some idea, but if the former thought was true and Undyne was still up there it would only tell her where he was. "If only I could figure out how to fly." He said to himself.

He started making his way through the piles of trash, the water getting deeper as he went, and curiosity caused him to stop and inspect a few items. None of it was from the Underground, he realized. It was all junk from the surface. "How did this all get down here?" He could remember various monsters talking about stuff from the surface "floating down here," but he did not think they meant it literally, and it surprised him just how much he found amongst the trash. An old bike, DVD cases, a cooler, and old computer. A thought occurred to him and he reached into his pocket only to pull out his destroyed, wreck of a phone. "Ah, hell!" He exclaimed and almost threw the broken rectangle to the ground. He reconsidered, though. Even useless, that was too much of himself to lose.

The only thing that he knew did come from the Underground amongst the refuse was a training dummy that looked a lot like the one Toriel introduced him to in the ruins. Ryan smiled at that memory. The dummy was leaning against the side of one of the piles and Ryan reached out to straighten it. Surprisingly, despite sitting halfway in water, the dummy looked to be in better shape than its twin. "You're looking good." He said to the fabric as he stepped away. "What's your secret?"

Unsurprisingly, the dummy said nothing in response, but it cheered Ryan up regardless.

He could see an exit up ahead and he started to wade through the water faster; it was now almost to his knees. Ryan heard a splash behind him, making him spin. Nothing was there, just the piles of junk and the dummy. Wait, the dummy was gone. "Hahaha!" laughed someone behind him. "Too intimidated to fight me, huh?" Ryan turned, trying to locate the source of the voice. It seemed to echo through the cavern. A figure slowly floated down in front of him, still letting out a peal of laughter. It was the dummy. "I am a ghost that lives inside a dummy." The dummy said. "I am part of a family of ghosts that lives in dummies. You may have met my cousin. He used to live inside a dummy, too; the dummy inside the ruins. Until you came along! Your cold stare, no, your very presence was enough to spook them right out of their dummy. Human! I'll scare your soul out of your body! I'll… Wait, where are you going?"

While the dummy was monologuing, Ryan began walking toward the exit again. "Listen, I'm a bit busy at the moment." He told the ghost. "I got a kid I need to find before he gets himself killed, I got a fish lady to avoid like the plague, and probably a lot more waiting for me in the future." He felt the air tickle the back of his neck. Instinctively, he shielded himself and the dummy's magical attack bounced off of it harmlessly.

"Filthy human! You would deny me my revenge? Truly you are the worst of the worst; worse even than the trash that surrounds us. You _will_ fight me, human! For it will be futile for you. I am a ghost, and as such I take no damage from your physical attacks. You are powerless against me!"

Ryan turned to face the dummy. "So, you want me to fight you?" His expression and tone pleaded the ghost to reconsider.

"Of course! I am a training dummy, am I not?"

"You sure you want to fight?"

"There is nothing you can do to me, human. You have already lost. Yes, we will fight."

"Positive?"

"Yes!"

"This is your last chance." The monster was just a few feet in front of him now.

"For the love of all that is ethereal, get on with it!"

"If you say so." With a snap of his fingers, the dummy burst into flames. It began to shake itself in the air violently.

"Ah, hot hot hot!" It shouted before plunging itself into the water. Popping back up and looking a little worse of ware than it had before, it said, "How the heck did you learn how to do that?"

Ryan shrugged. "Practice."

"My cousin neglected to tell me you knew magic." The dummy said more to himself. "It looks like I may need to call out my ace in the hole." The ghost rose higher into the air shouting, "Dummies, to me!" Out of the water, several dummies that looked much like the first showed themselves, first a handful, then dozens. They all floated over to surround Ryan as the first dummy laughed once more. "Behold my dummy army! Cower, human, for the combined might of all of us will surely spell your death!"

Just then, a rain began to fall from above. For some reason, it seemed to only hit the dummies around Ryan which all seemed to twitch away from it. "What is this?" The dummy leader shouted. "Acid rain? Human, does your horridness know no bounds? Dummies, retreat!" The dummies all flew away, scattering in a hundred directions. When they were gone, the rain stopped.

Ryan was about to take his blessing and leave when another ghost floated down from above. This ghost he recognized. "Nabstablook!" Ryan exclaimed.

"Sorry, I interrupted you, didn't I? As soon as I came over, your friends all left… Oh no… you guys looked like you were having fun…Oh no… I just wanted to say hi…"

"No, it's okay. Those… guys… were just trying to pick a fight. I was afraid they'd keep me here all night. Anyway, where have you been, buddy? I didn't see you in the ruins at all after that first day. It feels like it's been forever."

"Well… I live just up ahead… So the ruins are pretty far… And after that day… I was going to come by again… but I couldn't think of anything to do… so I'd just be floating there awkwardly… like usual… So I didn't… so you wouldn't have to be bored… I'm gonna go home now… oh… Um… feel free to come with if you want… but no pressure… I understand if you're busy… it's fine… no worries… just thought I'd offer…" The ghost floated away before Ryan could say another word. Realizing he was still knee deep in water, he decided to follow him.

The ghost was waiting for him just up ahead, floating above the edge of pool in front of the entrance to another tunnel. "Hey… My house is up here…" Nabstablook made no visible gesture that Ryan could see; he let the ghost go on. "In case you want to see… or in case you don't…" He drifted backwards through a narrow path in the rocks. There were two more paths that ran parallel to it and one more to each side of him. Looking around, he had no idea which way, if any, would lead him back to the path he had been on. He decided for now it would be best to take up the ghost on his offer. Perhaps he could ask for directions while he was there.

Down at the end of the path Nabstablook had gone sat two houses that were near perfect mirrors of each other. They were both rounded with a bulbous top and a roof that looked as if it may fall off at any second. In addition the house on the left leaned to the left and the house on the right leaned right. Of the two, the right house had a light on, but when Ryan tried the handle it was locked. Puzzled, he tried the other door. It opened.

The interior of the house was dim and had clearly seen better days. The floor boards were worn and had pieces missing in places, the walls were cracked where the paint did not peel off of them, there were cobwebs in the corners, and the room was sparsely occupied by a few appliances and a desk that a computer sat on top of. Ryan guessed that, for a ghost, it was probably about all you need. Nabstablook hovered in front of the computer, a pair of headphones on his head. "Oh, you really came…" Nabstablook said as he realized Ryan was there. "Sorry I… wasn't expecting that. It's not much but make yourself at home."

Ryan couldn't tell if the ghost genuinely did not want him there and just did not have the nerve to tell him outright, or if he just wanted to strongly reinforce that Ryan had no obligation to be there. Hoping the latter, and being the nosy fellow that he is, he stepped over to Nabstablook and looked over his head. "What'cha working on?" he asked.

"Oh, just sharing some songs I wrote… Nothing special…"

"You write music?" Ryan asked, sounding surprised.

"Yeah… I guess."

"That's pretty awesome. I tried writing music myself a time or two but just couldn't wrap my head around it. Fine enough, I guess. I have enough fun just listening and playing other people's music. Back when I used to actually play anything…"

Ryan thought the ghost had become more translucent. "It's really not that great…"

"It is to me; and I respect the hell out of anyone who does it. Music is important." Ryan wandered over to one of the corners of the room, inspecting a sign that hung from a cobweb advertising a bake sale. "It means a lot of different things to people, but, for me, it's one of the reasons I'm still alive."

Ryan had his broken phone in his hands without realizing it. He turned over and examined the spider web cracks in the screen. It was surely water damaged as well, but it was a place to start. He poured magical energy into the screen and willed it mend. The problem was, he had no idea how and after a few minutes he gave up. "What's that?" Nabstablook asked, hovering close.

"A brick, at this point. A multi-hundred dollar brick. It was a phone at one point, though."

"What happened to it?"

"I broke it."

"Then why keep it? If it's broken and useless, just get rid of it."

Ryan turned the phone over in his hands again. "I never really used this thing as a phone." He started. "I never really talked to that many people. I really only got it because it could play music and this thing has a lot of music on it. Music has always been my escape, and it always will be. I can see entire worlds while listening to it. I can see my own life in a new perspective. I can see stories invent themselves. And I can visualize it all so clearly. The music on this phone tells the story of not only my life, but the lives of countless others both real and imaginary. I can't get rid of it, not like this." He tapped the phone against the monster's headphones. "That, my friend is the power of music. And don't you ever underestimate it."

"Wow… No one's ever said that to me before…"

"It's the truth." Ryan was interrupted by a growl from his stomach. He tried to laugh it off. "I've had a busy night." He told the ghost.

"I might have something you can have." Nabstablook floated over to his refrigerator. He pulled out something that at first Ryan mistook for more cobwebs. "Here, it's a ghost sandwich." Now that he looked closer, it did look like the outline of a sandwich, almost like someone had forgotten to texture a wireframe model. Shrugging off his pickiness, he took the sandwich from the ghost. Or, rather, he tried to; the sandwich simply passed through his hands and fell through the floor. "Oh… never mind…"

"That's alright. I'm sure I'll be fine." He gave the monster a reassuring smile, but was not sure if it worked. "Thanks anyway."

"Hold on, I may have something else."

Ryan stopped Nabstablook by closing the door to the fridge on him. "Really, it's fine. I should be going anyway. I gotta find this kid I got separated from before I got lost. Do you know a way to the capital?"

"Well… you're underneath it now." Nabstablook told him.

"What?"

"This cave… It's under the city… And from here I don't think there's a way back to the main entrance… You'll have to go through Hotland. They have a lot of elevators for you non-floating folk." Ryan squeezed his fingers to his temples. He was much further off track than he thought. "I'm sorry…" Nabstablook added after seeing Ryan's response.

"No, no, it's not your fault." He had little chance of finding the kid at any rate, though he would probably be fine without him anyway. There was also a low chance of running into Undyne again at this point. Though at best she thought he was dead and would come here looking for his soul anyway. He grumbled to himself. "Which way is Hotland?" He asked the ghost.

"Out of here, it's the path to the left… It's still a little ways away but it should be pretty easy to get to."

Ryan nodded. "Thanks bud." He went to the door but stopped before opening it and said. "If Undyne comes here, you never saw me."

"Who's Undyne?" The monster asked in response. He had no idea whether he was being serious or not, but either way it was what he wanted. He nodded again and left to try to find the right tunnel out of there.

Ryan was never one to trust his luck. At times, it seemed like the universe had a personal vendetta against him. As such, it was best to keep going under the assumption that Undyne knew full well he was still alive and was hunting him at that very moment. Not far down the path Nabstablook had directed him to, he came across a branching path that he thought he could hear humming coming from. It definitely a voice in the cave, but it was no voice he recognized. He stepped inside.

The cave was dimly lit with the glow of crystals, making the shadow of a figure crouching over a rock visible near one of the corners. As Ryan walked closer, the silhouette resolved itself into a turtle. It was humming softly to itself while it brushed dirt off the rock in front of it. When it turned its head to see Ryan coming near, the monster jumped back. "Whoa there! What you doing sonny? Sneaking up on an old man like that." The monster must have noticed his tension, for he added. "Calm down, I mean you know harm, not that I'm much harm to anyone these days, aside from myself." The old turtle chuckled to himself. "It's been a bit since I've seen a human down here, though. Don't try to deny it, kiddo, I know a human when I see one. You're in much better health than the last one I met, though, that's for sure." He laughed again at what must have been a private joke.

"Now, I've no love for Humans," he went on, "but you seem like a nice enough kid. So, tell me, what brings you all the way down here?" While Ryan tried to figure out what to tell the old monster, or at least where to start, the turtle answered for him first. "Must be running away from someone, right? I suppose that's to be expected. Little love for your kind down here. I'm sure you understand why." Ryan hesitated to say anything in response. He had no reason to trust this monster. "Come on, boy, you can talk to me. Anything you say will stay between us, I promise. I'm too old to have any hope of seeing the surface again, but I don't care if you get taken or not. Plus, it'll do you some good."

Ryan finally nodded. "I do understand, but I'm trying to change their view. It just hasn't been easy…" Ryan sat down on one of the rocks told the old turtle of almost everything he had done since arriving in Snowdin, and how it made little difference in the end.

"You're up against generations of bias against you kid. The fear and hate is instinctual at this point. Now, monsters are known to change a lot easier than humans, but it still won't be easy. Heck, even if I saw you do all of those things myself, I probably still wouldn't trust you in the least. But then again, I'm one of the few monsters still alive that fought in the war before we got stuck down here. That's why I study history, easy profession when you lived through most of it." He laughed again. It was a raspy sound, typical of the older breed. "So, my bias is probably stronger than most. I will admit, kiddo, it's a noble cause trying to get rid of monsters' hate. It's a useless emotion, as far as I'm concerned. But do you really think you can convince everyone to make peace with the humans once we get out of here? After what happened last time?"

Ryan shook his head. "The opposite, actually. I want to convince everyone it's better to stay down here."

The old monster pulled out a pipe from a pouch strapped around his shoulders and lit it before saying. "You're going to tell me that humans have only gotten worse in the thousand years we've been trapped, aren't ya?"

"As a whole, yes. If you were to go up to the surface you'd be lucky to survive a day at most." Ryan told the monster grimly, to his surprise it made him laugh again.

"Ha! I knew it. Old Fluffybuns owes me a hundred G."

"Fluffybuns?" Ryan asked, puzzled.

"A nickname our great King Asgore will never live down. I will make personally sure of it." The monster drew from his pipe before going on. "Don't ask me where it came from, though. This old brain can't remember. But I remember a long time ago me and Fluffybuns made a bet. He said to me 'Maybe with us gone, the world above will finally know peace.' And I said back him, "Nonsense. With us gone, the humans will just start fighting each other.' And look who was right! Thanks for settling that for us kiddo. Come here, why don't we have some tea? You look pretty beat now that I see you better." The old monster had stridden closer to Ryan during his explanation, making Ryan slide back on the rock he sat.

He motioned Ryan to follow him before walking off into a deeper part of the cave. The light grew brighter and Ryan saw that was due to a small camp set up in a small clearing of dirt. While the monster set up a pot over the fire, Ryan was drawn to the drawing across the wall of the cave. It was another delta rune, again almost as tall as him. "Know what that is?" The monster asked without looking up from his work.

Ryan nodded. "The symbol of monsters. The mountains below and the angel of prophecy above."

"According to some, yes." Ryan turned back to see the monster dumbing a pouch into the pot of water before grabbing a set of cups from a nearby bag. "It seems to imply that some monster that got out of here will come back, break the barrier and set us free. But some people take a bleaker outlook, calling the winged circle the 'Angel of Death,' a harbinger of destruction, waiting to free us from this mortal realm. Me? I just think it looks neat." He laughed again.

The old monster poured some of the contents of the pot into one of the cups and handed it to Ryan before pouring out some for himself. Ryan took a sip of the tea. It was good, a bit salty for some reason, but good. "In the time I've been down here, I never heard anyone refer to it like that." He commented.

"It isn't a very vocal opinion. Tends to stay between members of the family, but you hear whispers sometimes. If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been down here, boy? Before you went to that town." The monster asked, eyeing him from across the room.

"A while." Ryan answered vaguely.

"And what made you leave wherever you were before?"

Ryan took another sip of tea as he searched for the right words. "A goal that I've grown to realize is probably impossible." He said finally.

"Unobtainable goals are the best kind to have; you can surprise yourself how close you get to them. What made you change your mind?"

"I fell in love." Ryan said unhesitatingly.

"Oh? With who?"

"With everyone I've met down here. Monsters are so much different than humans and yet they all get along. They made me feel welcome. And as hard as I tried to make sure it didn't happen, I grew to love it down here. And now all I want to do is keep everyone safe."

The old monster seemed to be weighing him. And, at the same time, trying to figure out what to make of him. "You're a bit of an oddity, you know?" He said to him. "Humans, even the nicest ones, were always selfish. They didn't give a damn about anyone else unless it suited their needs."

"But I am being selfish." Ryan told the monster. "I want to keep you trapped under here just so I can keep the life I've come to love."

The monster shook his head and tapped out his pipe on the side of his shell. "No you're not. You may think that, but you're doing it _only_ because you want to keep us safe. I can tell. I can see it in your eyes, kiddo. You can't fool a monster as old as me." He leaned back against the wall as he thumbed his pipe full again. "So, what do you plan to do next then?"

"I was thinking of going to the king first. Talking to him, or something. I'm not sure yet."

The monster hummed his agreement. "Old Fluffybuns has been a bit of a recluse lately. He could use the company, I think. Though, he's not really in the mood to be talking with humans, hasn't been for a long time now. It may not help at all, but when you see him tell him Old Gerson vouches for you."

Ryan smiled. "I'm surprised you're on my side with this."

"A lot of monsters may be alright with Asgore killing humans to get us free, but I'm certainly not one of them. If the queen were still around she… well, she isn't, so there's no point in getting into that. I'm not exactly for staying down here, but whatever comes, comes; it's out of my power so I should have no say on what should be done. You, on the other hand, have the power to change things, I can feel it. You remind me of a human I knew long ago, and if you're a tenth the man he was you'll make history. I'd bet everything I had on it. So go on, git! You're wasting daylight sitting talking to this old turtle."

Ryan laughed. "Last I checked it was the middle of the night."

The old monster looked genuinely surprised. "Is it? Must have been down here longer than I thought… It makes no difference, though. You have something to do, and it ain't getting done sitting here. I don't want to see you again until you can tell me that you at least tried your best and remember what I told you about lying to me."

Ryan stood before the monster could start pushing out of the cave. He gave one last look to the rune carved into the wall. "The Angel of Death." Ryan started. "Where I come from that angel has a lot of names: Yama, Michael, Samael…" He turned back to Gerson before adding, "Azrael."

He got exactly the response he had hoped for. The monster tensed and ever so slowly he took the pipe from his mouth. "That name has a bit of a taboo associated with it down here. Did you know that?"

"I did." Ryan told the monster.

"And do you know why that is?"

"I do."

"Then you should know well enough not to bring it up again."

"I just find it a bit of a coincidence, don't you?" Ryan went on anyway. "The one who has seen the surface from the prophesy, and the Angel of Death, Azrael. It makes you think, doesn't it?"

"What are you trying to imply, boy?"

"'Unobtainable goals are the best goals to have.' I'll keep that in mind, Gerson. And thank you." Without anything more, Ryan walked out of the cave leaving the old turtle's shouts behind him.

It was a rude thing to do, he knew, but he could not help himself. The turtle had helped to remind him why he had left the ruins in the first place and why he was willing to go to any lengths to see it done. The old monster was wrong; he was selfish, just for different reasons. With his drive reignited, he continued on in the direction he hoped would bring him to the capital.

His drive quickly became a dull ember as he came upon another area of almost pure darkness. It came upon him so suddenly that it made him stop. The light from the tunnel behind him ended in a wall of black that seemed almost solid. Forward was his only option, however, so the anomaly did not stop him for long.

His first step into the room brought forth a burst of blue light. It was bright enough to make him squint. And when the blurriness from its intensity subsided, he saw that it came the ground where he had stepped. Like the mushrooms he had seen before, the grass – and indeed many other plants, from flowers to trees easily twice as tall as him – began to glow in ripples out from where his foot had landed. Like a type of sonar the light spread to outline the whole cave before fading into the deep black it had been once more.

Ryan kicked at the ground and more light rippled out, faster this time. He took another step and the light moved as slow as it had before. The cave was fairly large, he realized, and the migrating light did not show sign of any exit. Without any direction, Ryan continued to step into the cave hoping to catch the light just as it hit the rim and make out anything that hinted at the right way.

Just as he was beginning to consider searching around the hard way, he thought he heard a voice. He stopped and sharpened his hearing to the point where his own hear beat nearly drowned out any other noise. The voice came again; it sounded like the kid. Could he have gotten stuck down here too? Ryan thought. He began to move towards the voice. It seemed to sound off every few seconds. Ryan could not make out the words. Could the kid be in trouble? Could he be calling out for help? Ryan picked up his pace. The ripples of the light seemed to beat in time with his pulse instead of his steps, only lending to his building panic.

Suddenly the light stopped and Ryan nearly tripped as he became unsure of where the ground was in front of him. He cautiously took another step, nothing. The voice came again, definitely closer than it had been. Much closer. Carefully, with arms extended out in front of him, he walked forward. The voice did not come again. He wondered what had happened when his hand brushed up against something. Fearing the worst, he risked making a small light. But it was not the kid; it was an echo flower sticking out of a wall. He was in a dead end. He was trapped.

As if to confirm his suspicions, the echo flower whispered, "Behind you."

By second nature, the light floating above his hand turned back to fire which he threw out in a jet behind him. The fire split as it hit a blue spear being held out by the armored figure of Undyne. Ryan pressed his back to the wall in a futile attempt to get away before take some form of a defensive fighting stance he knew would be useless.

"Seven." Undyne practically hissed. "Seven human souls. With the power of seven human souls our king, King Asgore Dreemurr, will become a god. With that power, Asgore can finally shatter the barrier. He will finally take the surface back from humanity and give them back the pain and suffering we have endured." More spears appeared above Undyne's head and they flew at him before he could react. Ryan flinched against pain that never came. The spears had pinned his clothes to the wall. "Understand, human? This is your only chance at redemption. Give up your soul or I'll tear it from your body. Undyne lowered the spear in her hand and took hold of it with the other. She charged him. Ryan put up a shield, but never felt an impact. Opening his eyes, though he did not remember closing them, he saw why. The lizard kid stood between them. Undyne had recalled her spear.

"Undyne! I'll help you fight!" He shouted up at the taller monster. The kid turned to face Ryan with a look of determination which became surprise when he saw who it was. "You did it! Undyne is right in front of you." The young monster said to him. "You've got front row seats to her fight!" Then it seemed to dawn on the kid. "Wait, who's she fighting?"

The captain of the royal guard let out a grunt of annoyance and grabbed the kid by the head, dragging him away. "Hey! You aren't gonna tell my parents about this, are you?"

When the two were hidden by the darkness, Ryan pulled the spears that trapped him out of the wall with air and he fell onto hands and knees. He should be dead, he knew, but the kid had unknowingly saved him.

He could not stay there, Undyne would definitely be back to finish him off. Putting out the fire that still clung to some parts of the tunnel, he brought a light back to his hand. He quickly found a path and started to run.

On and on he ran, past cave after cave filled with glittering crystals and murmuring echo flowers, past waterfalls and glowing lakes. He did not stop for any of it. He was not sure how long he ran when he came upon a ravine filled with columns stone that rose hundreds of feet into the air both above and below him. At first he thought it was the same one as before, but it was much narrower and had fewer connecting brides and there was no water below. He did not slow. He crossed the first bridge and saw on the other side a tunnel seeping soft, red light. It was the best sign he had seen all night. Somehow, he knew it was the right way.

"Yo!" A voice shouted behind him before he had made it to the other side of the bridge. Finally, he did stop and turned to see the monster kid standing just a short ways behind him, an anxious look on his face.

"How did you manage to get away from Undyne?" Ryan asked, trying to keep the same casual tone of voice he had always used with the monster, but he backed up a step nonetheless.

"I… I know I'm not supposed to be here but…" The kid approached him meekly, refusing to look him in the eye. "I want to ask you something… Man, I've never had to ask anyone this before. Umm, yo, you're human, right?" Ryan nodded slowly, seeing no reason to lie to the kid. The monster laughed weakly. "Man, I knew it. Well… I know it now… I mean." The kid looked around as if the room hid the words he was searching for. "Undyne told me, um, 'stay away from that human.' So, like, um, I guess that makes us enemies or something. But I kinda stink at that." The kid laughed again. "Especially since you've helped me out so much… Yo, say something mean so I can hate you?"

"Come on, kid, I can't do that…" This kid, who wanted nothing more than to please Undyne, looked up at him with genuine plea. Ryan thought for a moment. "Umm… Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries."

The kid looked at him sideways. "What was that?"

Ryan shrugged. "That's the best I got."

"Yo, what? So you you're gonna make me have to do it. Here goes nothing. Yo, I… I hate your guts." The kid let out a sigh, and with it all of his nervous energy seemed to leave him. "Man, I… I'm such a turd. I'm gonna go home now…" The monster started to back away slowly then turned and started to run off back across the bridge. But the kid tripped over a raised board and fell off the edge, just barely managing to catch a loose rope with his teeth. He let out a noise that sounded like 'help' as Ryan ran towards him. Another noise from across the bridge made him freeze. Undyne stood at the edge of the ravine, looking between Ryan and the kid. Ryan's eyes darted between the two others as well. He was still several feet from the kid, but Undyne was further. Taking the risk, he ran to the monster and lifted him back up before Undyne could reach him.

Once the kid was safe, he turned towards Undyne, who was still marching towards the two of them. The kid stood between them and glared up at the taller monster. "Y-yo d-dude… If… if y-you wanna hurt my friend, you're gonna have to get through me first!" He stammered in Ryan's defense.

Surprisingly, Undyne stepped back. Ryan could not see her expression under her helmet, but he wished he could. A moment later, she backed off of the bridge and disappeared into the shadows.

"She's gone. Yo, you really saved my skin. Guess being enemies was just a nice thought." The monster chuckled. Ryan almost laughed as well. Somehow, he had managed to avoid Undyne a handful of times and it was all this kids doing. He patted him on the head.

"Guess we'll just have to be friends instead." He told the kid and he nodded.

"… Man, I should really go home… I bet my parents are worried sick about me." The monster started off towards home again, careful not to trip over his own feet again. "Later dude." He said over his shoulder before disappearing from sight.

Ryan did not waste a moment. He turned and made for the tunnel with just as much speed as he had before the kid had stopped him. The tunnel gave way to open ground and to light; light brighter than in Snowdin. It was a red-yellow glow that came from below instead of above and outlined the jagged forms of rocks that surrounded the clearing he found himself in. He could see great machinery in the distance, behind the shimmery haze of heat, rising higher than the light reached. Hotland, he guessed. He was close.

Just then, something hit him; a flash like a memory from a forgotten life. And with it came a grim realization.

He looked up again. The armored shape of Undyne stood atop one of the spikes of stone. "Seven." She echoed from what she had told him before. "Seven human souls and King Asgore will become a god." The monster was not facing him; she was looking out into the light beyond the rock as if it held the future. "Six, that's how many souls we've collected thus far. Understand? Through your seventh and final soul, this world will be transformed."

He barely heard her. _Nothing has changed,_ he had realized. The words seemed to pound against his skull and he almost fell to his knees. He had been certain. After all this time, he had been certain. And yet, _nothing has changed._

In a last ditch effort, Ryan tried to run back the way he came, but a wall of spears shot up from the ground, nearly slicing him in half before he jumped back. "Enough, human! You can't run from me now."

Undyne jumped from the rock and landed opposite him, blocking the only other way out of the clearing. She had taken her helmet off and was looking at him with a mixture of hate and determination. "You!" She pointed at him. "You're standing in the way of everybody's hopes and dreams. Alphys's history books made me think humans were cool, with their giant robots and flowery swordswomen. But you? You're just a coward! Hiding behind that kid so you could run away from me again! Running away after hurting Snowy! And let's not forget your wimpy goody-two-shoes-shtick. Oh, I'm making such a difference by hugging strangers; helping everyone while disguised as a monster. You know what would be more valuable to everyone? If you were dead!" She charged at him with a cry of 'Ngahhh!' Ryan dodged at the last second and spun so he was facing her as she practically flew past him. Undyne skidded to a halt and spun in much the same way.

"That's right, human, your continued existence is a crime! Your life is all that stands between us and our freedom." She attacked again, thrusting her spear at Ryan's midsection and he jumped back. "Right now, I can feel everyone's hearts pounding together. Everyone's been waiting their lives for this whole moment. But we're not nervous at all. When everyone puts their hearts together, they can't lose." She spun her spear around and swung at his head. He ducked. Undyne threw her momentum into a follow-through bringing the spear down on him from above. This time, Ryan caught it.

"You're right." He said as he held the spear, his head down turned. "I am in everyone's way, and I am a coward. But I'm tired of running now. I'm tired of not being able to change anything." He threw the spear back and sent Undyne with it. She flipped through the air and landed on her feet a few feet back from him. "This time, I _will_ change fate and I'll see my own hopes and dreams come true. And if that means I have to fight, then I'll fight!"

This time, it was Ryan that charged at Undyne, pushing himself forward fast enough that a concussive burst boomed though the air behind him. All thought of holding back was forgotten. He pulled his fist back as it became enveloped in flame and he swung at the monster while she was still straightening herself.

Somehow, she managed to block. Snapping straight faster than Ryan thought possible, she brought her spear in front of her and his attack collided with it. The ring of metal deafened him momentarily and another shockwave sprung forth as his fist impacted with the weapon. The blow shattered her magic spear an instant later and sent the monster flying into the rock behind her. Ryan watched the dust settle in disbelief. How did he do that? He questioned.

He heard another cry, and something flew up out of the dust cloud. It was Undyne; above her she held a huge boulder over her head and as she came down from her jump she threw it at Ryan.

Ryan felt invincible; instead of dodging, he held out his hand. A spark seemed to crawl across his skin and lightning burst from his fingers. The electricity hit the rock and shattered it, the pieces harmlessly bouncing off of him. Ryan lowered his hand as the dust settled once more. He flashed Undyne a cocky smile before he almost collapsed from a sudden wave of fatigue. Then he realized his mistake, that wave of energy was not magic, it was him; his energy. How could he have forgotten so easily? And now he had just used almost all of it up. And Undyne barely looked worse for wear.

"Now, human! Let's end this, right here, right now. I'll show you how determined monsters can be!" A dozen or more spears appeared in the air behind Undyne. And with a flick of her wrist they all flew at him. Time seemed to stretch and shrink at once. He needed to focus; draw energy from around him, not himself. A shield flickered into existence, much smaller than he had intended, but enough to cover himself. The spears bounced off of it harmlessly. But then pain shot up and down his arm. He looked down. He was bleeding; a spear he had not seen had sliced his shoulder from behind where the shield had not covered him. The cut was long but it was shallow.

"Not bad." Undyne said. "Then how about this?" Another wave came at him from all angles. This time he managed to block them all, but behind the volley Undyne charged in. The impact of her attack shattered his shield. The warrior spun to knock him down with the back end of her spear, but Ryan fell to his knees from exhaustion and the blow barely missed him. Ryan recovered quickly, snapping back into focus. He turned his momentum to a roll to the side and came back up to his feet.

Panting, he dug into his clothes for anything that would help him gain back some energy. He found nothing. He wished he had bought something from Sallie's brother before running off, or had saved one of sandwiches from before. He felt himself waver; any chance of making it out alive seemed distant.

Undyne twirled her spear into a ready stance. "For years we've dreamed of a happy ending," she said, "and now sunlight is just within our reach. I won't let you snatch it away from us!" Undyne charged again. This time, Ryan did not pull up a shield, deigning instead to use a concentrated blast of air at the last second to knock the spear away followed by a blast of flame. However her armor protected her from most of the damage. Ignoring Ryan's counter attack, Undyne spun back around and slashed at his chest leaving a cut that stung worse than the one on his arm.

Ryan realized his second mistake: he had let her get close. His lack of energy meant no enhanced perception, which meant relying on his own reaction time. Against a trained fighter, not smart. In panic, he lashed out with another concussive wave, knocking her out of reach, but unfortunately she was ready for it and kept her footing. "Enough warming up!" She shouted. Blackness began to form at the edge of Ryan's vision.

More spears erupted from the ether, more than any time before. They fell in a ring around them, blocking any chance of running out of reach. This was not looking good.

Ryan tried first to jump up out of the circle, but the spears extended in response to his gain in height, making escape impossible. Undyne used the opening to strike. Ryan resorted back to a shield but the momentum still carried him into the spear wall, knocking the wind out of him. He slid down to the ground, fighting for air and to regain his footing.

Undyne looked genuinely impressed through her anger. "Heh, you're tough. But even if you could beat me, no human has ever made it past Asgore!" She came at him once more. Ryan was backed into a wall and was too tired to have any hope of dodging. He managed a shield that was barely the width of his body and blocked the blow. The spear slid away and imbedded itself in the wall next to him before the shield fell away. Undyne grabbed him by the throat. "Honestly, killing you now is an act of mercy. So stop being so damn resilient!" She threw him to the ground at the center of the circle. Coughing, and knowing he would be dead otherwise, Ryan stood up. "What the hell are you humans made of? Anyone else would be dead by now." Ryan did not see the blow coming until it struck him in the face. He started seeing double. Two Undynes stood before him, both holding him by the shirt collar and both staring at him with a look of disgust and frustration. "Alphys told me humans were determined, I see now what she meant by that. But I'm determined too, determined to end this right now!" Another blow came, and then another, and another.

Ryan fell to his knees, gasping for breath. His vision started to blur. He knew he was completely out of energy. Is this it? He thought. After all of that, is this as far as I go? Undyne stood over him, spear raised, just like in his nightmares that seemed a lifetime ago. "No more running." She said. "Face your death with some courage, human." He tried to will his body to move, but struggle as he might, nothing happened. "Thank you." Undyne seemed to be whispering. "Your soul will help save all monsters."

Was that it? Was that his destiny? Was the power of his soul meant simply to be used to set monsters free? He was surprised that he was okay with this. In his exhaustion, he had accepted it. At least he could be good for something. By now, his vision had gone black. He could feel himself falling over. He felt like he was flying, but a part of his brain was able to realize what it actually was. Then, an image flashed in his mind and his own voice rang in his ears, quiet as a whisper and loud as a scream. "I'm going to save him." But he couldn't move. He could barely feel his body as it fell to the ground. I need more strength. He thought, and, as if it were summoned by his thought, a light surrounded him.

He realized he was standing. Undyne was no longer there, nothing was. Just white. Ryan looked down at his feet and it looked like he wasn't standing on anything. It felt as if the light was enclosing on him, buzzing with energy. He felt that energy in the air and was suddenly overwhelmed by his exhaustion once more. Like a man dying of thirst, he tried to reach out to drink up the energy, but it only slipped through his fingers. He tried again and again, the light fading with each attempt. A part of him knew he was dying, but pushed the thought aside and focused on grasping this intangible force.

Finally he managed to catch some, just a trickle, but that trickle opened the connection and soon the drip became a roaring torrent that threatened to overwhelm him, to burn him away to nothing. The light grew brighter, searing his eyes, burning his skin. In his mind he formed, first, the image of a small monster and then the faces everyone else he had grown to call friend. They gave him the strength to hold on and, through newfound determination, he willed the torrent of energy under his control.

His eyes snapped open, the rock of Waterfall under him. He had managed to catch himself before he fell onto his face. "No." He said. It was barely a whisper.

"What?" Undyne said above him.

Ryan felt the surge of energy return as it had felt in that other world and he stood. He looked Undyne in the eye and said, "I refuse to die today." He raised his hand and Undyne flew back against the wall. His arm, his whole body in fact, seemed to glow with energy. Steam rose off of him as a red tinted mist. It was then he realized where the energy had come from: he had managed to pull the magic surrounding him into himself, though he had no idea how. And, already, he could feel his grip on it slipping.

Undyne stirred and Ryan did not waste a moment. He started to run through the tunnel in the rock. He practically ran on the walls to not have to slow around the twists and turns. It was not long before he heard an angry cry behind him. He did not slow down, but already he felt his exhaustion returning and soon he could hear armored footsteps catching up to him. He willed himself on, trying to take in more energy, but, like the first time, it seemed to slip through his fingers. He passed a large neon sign. He did not read what it said.

A light appeared ahead and Ryan almost laughed before he realized this light did not mean salvation. He rounded another corner and the light formed the end of the tunnel. Flying through it, a wave of intense heat hit him like a wall and he staggered back, instinctively shielding himself. He glanced back. Undyne was right behind him. Heat forgotten he kept running, only to find that in his shock, he had lost his hold on all the energy he had left. His legs felt like jelly and he almost stumbled to the ground.

A hand grabbed him from behind and he came face to face with Undyne once more. "Got you." she said. She looked almost as exhausted as he now, panting for breath. She reached up with her open arm as if to punch him, but her eyes rolled back and they both collapsed to the ground.

Undyne's breaths now came in rasps as if she had been running through the dessert a week. Ryan looked around; there was a glow from beneath the ground that made him think of magma. He guessed that was the cause of the heat. Of course, he realized, she's a fish. Then he noticed an office water dispenser close by. Not questioning it, he tried to stand. Once again, his body felt numb. "No one's dying on my watch." He said to anyone who might be listening. He tried to reach out again. This time he managed to draw a trickle of power and it stayed a trickle, but it was enough. He climbed up to his hands and knees and crawled to the water cooler. As he crawled, the heat was starting to get to him too. It singed the skin on his hands and the denim of his jeans, but he managed to push it aside again.

Taking a cup from the dispenser, he filled it first for himself. Like food, the water filled him with strength immediately. He then refilled the cup and ran back to Undyne. He flipped her over and tried to get her to drink. As soon as the cup was to her lips, she snapped awake. Snatching the cup from his hands, she drank the water feverishly, throwing the cup into the molten rock below when it was emptied. She then noticed Ryan was standing over her and shoved him back.

She stood up and gave Ryan a look that told him his favor did not change her mind about killing him. She stepped closer, but hesitated. Finally, with an irritated grunt, she stormed off back the way they came.

Ryan half limped back the water cooler, poured himself another glass, and dumped it over his head. He then sat, leaning against it. He felt a bit better, but it was not lasting as long as he thought. His vision was beginning to fade again mere moments later. He took another drink, but its energy, too, lasted only moments.

He was in trouble, and the water was not enough to get him out of it. His eyes fell onto a building not far from where he sat. Somewhere, he found the strength to get to his feet. And he hoped that he would make it to the building before the heat cooked him alive.

Alphys lay on her bed in the upper floor of her laboratory, her eyes glued to the screen against the opposite wall. It was not the feed of the human that she should have been watching – Undyne had seemed to be doing fine without her help for some time now – instead she was enjoying one of the various Anime she had scavenged and managed to restore from the treasure trove that gathered in that one spot in Waterfall. It was one she had seen multiple times already, but that hardly mattered. It was just as good the sixth time around.

An alert made her almost jump to the ceiling. It was a warning she had not heard in sometime: proximity warning. With the press of a button, she flipped through the channels on her TV looking for the one of the camera over the door to the lab. Before she got to it, however, there was a loud crash making her jump once more.

Throwing on a lab coat she ran down the escalator to the main entrance. What she found almost made her run back upstairs. The door to her lab had been blown in; it lay in a crumpled heap near a corner. And in the middle of the floor lay something she was not ready for: it was the human.

"Oh my god." She breathed as he stirred.

The human lifted his head ever so slightly. "Help." He said weakly.

"Oh my god."


	15. Alphys

"Oh my god…"

The human had not stirred again. He lay still, sprawled out in the middle of the floor in her lab. Parts of him looked singed; other parts were covered in bruises that already looked to be days old. How did he get in?

"Oh my god," the door was caved in, she remembered. Could the human have done that? But it was a reinforced metal door warded from magic. None of her records showed him being that strong. She had gone over all of the hidden camera footage since she had come across him wandering through the woods. She knew that he had been learning magic, but he had not shown anywhere near that level of ability.

The cameras… She still felt guilty about that. It was an idea she herself had proposed to the king to supplement the sentries throughout the Underground. She was supposed to alert Undyne the moment she saw a human on the monitors, but she had not. She had not told Undyne she could track the human until just this evening, making her believe she had also been fooled by his use of disguise. Undyne had told her to keep tabs on him as he tried to run through Waterfall.

"Oh my god," Undyne. If the human was here, what happened to…? No, Undyne was fine, Alphys knew. The human would not have done anything to her, her data supported that. But then how did he get past her? No, wait, this was her plan, it was just…

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" Alphys had not moved from her spot by the stairs yet, but she was now practically dancing in a circle. "Why can't anything just go according to plan? I didn't expect you to show up so soon. I haven't showered, I'm barely dressed, it's all messy, and…" She looked around her lab. Trash was strewn about everywhere, her desk was covered in old lunch containers, papers were everywhere, wrappers practically filled the corners of the room, and this was technically just the lobby. She began to straighten up in a panic. "H-h-hiya!" She stammered while throwing a pile of junk down an incinerator shoot. "I'm Doctor Alphys. I'm Asgore's Royal… Scientist…"

The human still had not stirred, she realized. That was not good. The doctor dropped what she had in her arms and ran over to the human's side. "Oh no. Oh nononono." She flipped the human onto his back. He gave no physical response to being moved. Also not good. She looked the human up and down; she had no idea where to even start in figuring out if a human was okay. In her panic, she grew frustrated with herself. "Come on, Alphys. There must be _something_ in all of those comics you read that would be genuinely helpful in the situation."

Pulse! Humans had something called a pulse that told you if they were alive or not. It had something to do with one of their organs, or something. That was not important now, though. Alphys put her fingers to the human's neck, unsure exactly what she was supposed to be looking for; this was how she had seen it done in her manga. She jumped back almost to the wall when she felt something move beneath her touch. "That must have been it." She thought aloud through panting breath.

Alphys got back on her feet and began pacing back and forth once more. "Okay, he's alive, probably. That's good. But I still have no idea what's wrong with him or why. Think, Alphys, think!" She was trying to sort out what she knew about humans and what she knew specifically about this human, but she came up with no explanation of how he could have come to be here in her lab and unconscious.

Hoping the human would be alright for another moment, she ran to her desk and pulled up the video footage from where she had last seen him. She followed the cameras while the sped up footage filled in the story for her. She stopped when she got to the clearing where the human and Undyne had fought. The fact that they had fought alone was enough to bring the pause. But it was what happened during the fight that really made her stop.

Out of nowhere the human had taken the advantage, tossing Undyne aside as if it were nothing. Then he suddenly disappeared. A moment later, a shockwave shook the camera until the signal was lost. Alphys frantically switched to other cameras in the area. They were all the same: not even static, just a black screen as if they had all been destroyed. She looked back to the human – he still had not moved – and a sudden fear made her scales crawl. What exactly had happened?

She would worry about the lost footage later. She switched to a camera at the entrance to the lab and waited. Finally, the shape of the human appeared out of the tunnel. He stumbled, looking exhausted though only minutes had passed since the cameras had lost signal in the clearing. Undyne entered close behind, grabbing the human by his shirt and pulling him to her. Then, suddenly they both collapsed. The human roused first and began crawling out of the view of the camera. Alphys did not switch the view. Her eyes were glued to Undyne's unconscious form. The human returned moments later with something in his hand, still seeming like he could barely keep himself upright. He knelt in front of Undyne. A moment later, the monster shot up and, surprisingly, she left. What happened? She wondered again. The human stumbled back in the direction of her lab, almost falling down at least three times before leaving the screen this time. She stopped the footage.

"Okay, so you're exhausted. But now what?" Alphys resumed her pacing over the human. She knew that humans, like monsters, worked off energy, but it was a different kind of energy. Their physical forms had too much… stuff… to run off of just magic. They needed more. It was evident by their food, of which she had none. There must be another way.

But wait, the human had been down here for months. If there was no way for him to get energy, how would he have survived? She went back to her footage. She found one shot she was looking for. It was the human in the bar in Snowdin. She watched the sped up scene's time stamp as, for thirty minutes, the human wolfed down plate after plate of food. "How is that possible?" She asked herself. Not just the amount, but the act. The human's body should not know what to do with that kind of food, and yet.

Perhaps he had found some way to adapt. It was certainly possible, and it presented an opportunity. "I can't think of anything better anyway…" Alphys mumbled as she leaned over the human again. She whistled, and a moment later a robot carrying a stretcher rolled into the room. The bot placed the human on the stretcher before carting him into a different part of the lab.

Alphys directed it to a room lined wall-to-wall with machines and placed the human on a table near the center. A large apparatus hung from the ceiling above the human. The doctor went back to the wall and began flipping things on. Light filled the room as monitors flickered to life. She grabbed a chair and pulled herself in front of one of the screens. Entering a command, a scan of the human appeared along with a stream of data. The sight amazed her. Alphys had never had a living human on her table before. The amount of things that moved on their own in their bodies was astounding. There were so many tests she wanted to run, but she had other priorities at the moment.

With a keystroke, a filter came over the scan and all of the moving internals of the human faded away. A single light took their place: the human's soul as it radiated magical energy. She had to dial back the intensity almost all of the way before the screen was anything but filled with the red light. That fact she had expected, but what she saw when she finally got the balance right made her jaw drop. Even in this weakened state, she watched tendrils of energy reaching out to other parts of the human to fill it with energy from seemingly nowhere. "Amazing…" She breathed. "Okay, let's see if this works."

Fingers flying across the keyboard, a machine behind her whirred to life. The machine would spin a sort of web around the human and allow her to do what came next. A warning siren nearly knocked her out of the chair. She went back to the monitor. _Interference,_ the screen read. "What in the world?" Alphys switched back to one of the EM filters, a light she had not caught before was coming from neat his hip. Something in his pocket?

She went over to the human and hesitated. This was a gross violation of his personal space and also incredibly awkward. Maybe it would be better to just leave it. Maybe whatever it was would not interfere too much. No, there was no need for a risk like that. "Come on, Alphys, he's unconscious and won't even know. Oh, that just makes it so much worse!" She whined.

Finally, after several deep breaths, she reached into his pocket and pulled out the source to the disruption. It was a black rectangle about the length of her hand. It had buttons on the side and a plate of glass on the front that was practically shattered. Several wires were connected to it as well, wrapped around almost to the point where they looked to be the only things keeping it together. Why would the human keep something like this? Alphys set it aside to examine later and went back to the task at hand.

The machine finished its net over the human and Alphys set the monitor back to the proper views. "Let's start this slow." She told the computer. Flipping a switch, a small stream of energy fed its way through the net to the human. The reaction was immediate. Tendrils from the human's souls leapt to his skin and began to suck up the energy almost as soon as it got there. She turned to the human. There was no physical reaction, so she turned up the current. The human still did not wake up, but what she was seeing was amazing. The amount of energy he was soaking in was impossible! It was far beyond her estimates in comparison to monsters. The human's soul seemed to be distributing energy to the rest of its form faster than it could take it in from the machine. It was so intricately connected to every part of him… She turned up the power, but the human continued to soak it up as if it were nothing. She swallowed and made a decision: if full blast did not work, nothing would. "You may not like me for this…" She whispered before setting the power to its max. Electricity began to arc from the net with a loud crack, but even the discharge seemed to get sucked back into the human's form. For a whole minute, the human did not move and then the machine fell silent; the generator had run out of juice. The rest of the lights in the lab went a moment later.

After waiting for the power to reset itself, Alphys rolled over and pulled the net off of the human. He did look better, she noticed. The bruising had healed along with the burns. His soul pulsed brightly beneath his shirt. Alphys waited, but nothing happened. She let out a breath, already trying to think of what to try next, when the human suddenly bolted upright.

Ryan sucked in air as his eyes opened. He felt like he had been tazed and then thrown into an ice bath. Taking in his surroundings, he did not like what he saw. He had no idea where he was. Machines with blinking lights surrounded him, and above his face was another covered in lights and long needles. He sat up, batting the machine aside, and realized he was on some sort of operating table. "It worked!" A voice next to him shouted. Ryan needed no more provocation. Fire surrounded him in an instant and with a thought he sent it outwards.

Before the inferno could even leave the edge of the table, jets of retardant blasted Ryan from every angle. "Hey, what the…?"

The streams stopped after another second, leaving him cold and more than damp. "Sorry," the monster that had spoken up before said meekly, "It's just a safety system. You're not the first one to freak out when they first wake up."

This time Ryan lasted out physically. He had too rough of a night to be patient with this monster that put him on an operating table to do God only knows what.. He was off the table in an instant, hand going for the monster's throat, but his hand hit a wall just short of it. The monster jumped back, cowering with arms over its face. The monster was covered in yellow scales much like the kid he had been following all night, but this monster was clearly older. It wore a stained lab coat that was, at one point, white and large round glasses sat on a long nose. It flinched as Ryan hit the invisible wall again. "What did you do to me?" He shouted. "What is all this?"

"Nothing!" The monster said quickly, most likely realizing the wrong answer could spell its end. "I just woke you up! You had collapsed and I didn't know what else to do!"

Ryan battered against the shield once more and to both his shock and the monster's it shattered. Ryan walked up to the monster threateningly. "What does that mean?" He demanded in a low growl he did not know he was capable of. "Why do I feel like I was just strapped to a lightning rod?"

"W-well, you… you were, I-I guess. For all intents and purposes. Like I said, I didn't know what else to do. If a monster reaches that point of exhaustion we feed them energy in the hopes in might jumpstart their systems again. I thought it might work for you too."

It was then Ryan remembered what had happened just before he had woken up here. He had gone way past his limit with magic. He was lucky to still be alive. More importantly, he felt fine. Better than fine, really. He had reached out to his power unconsciously, but when he let it go he felt no different. Much calmer this time, he asked. "How much did you hit me with?"

"I-I don't know… A lot… All of it, really. All that I had anyway." The monster was still slightly cowering as it looked up at him. Ryan realized he was still looming over it and backed up awkwardly.

"I'm sorry." He told it. "I don't really like waking up in strange places. I've only had bad experiences result from it so far."

The monster seemed to ease up a little bit as well. "I guess that's understandable."

"I'm Ryan." He said, holding out his hand. To his surprise, the monster almost jumped back again. And just when he thought he was getting a handle on their behavior.

"I know… I mean, I'm Doctor Alphys, Asgore's Royal Scientist." The monster still did not take his outstretched hand, so he pulled it back.

"Alphys, huh? I've heard a thing or two about you." Ryan commented, as he began looking around the room.

"R-really?"

He nodded, still circling around some of the machines, trying to gain some insight as to what they did. "And by the looks of things, they weren't lying when they said you good at the whole mixing science and magic stuff." He turned back to Alphys. "And as much as I'd like to have a nice long conversation with you on that matter, I need to get going." Ryan stepped past Alphys into the hallway. "Thank you very much for the kick start; it's greatly appreciated."

"Wait!" Alphys called out behind him. "Where are you going?"

Ryan stopped and let out a breath before turning to answer. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I can't stay here. I'm certain Undyne hasn't called off the search for me yet. At this point, she's probably gotten the whole Royal Guard to go after me. And I have no idea how long the boost you gave me will last, so I need to get to the capital as fast as possible." He paused before adding. "You can try to stop me, if you'd like. It will only make unnecessary trouble for both of us."

The Doctor shook her head. "I don't want to stop you, but…"

"Good."

"W-wait!" Ryan stopped again. "I want to help you, okay. This may sound weird, but I've been watching you since shortly after you appeared from the ruins. D-don't worry! I didn't tell anyone. I was going to, at first, but the more I watched I realized that you're not like other humans. You seem to genuinely care about monsters… And you seem… really nice."

"Thank you, Alphys, but I don't think you want to get sucked into my mess. It won't end well, I promise you that."

"Wait! If you are going, then there are at least some things you should know. Starting with Undyne had all of the elevators in and out of the capital put under guard. P-plus I really don't think you should be going anywhere at the moment. I just hit you with enough energy to power the city for a week. Putting that fact aside, any monster that woke up from the state you were just in would be bed ridden for a week, if they even got up at all. Now, I don't even begin to know what humans are made of, but I'm pretty sure you just said something about it wearing off, right?"

"It could, at any minute, yes. I need sleep to regain energy properly, it seems. All the more reason to be going as soon as possible."

"Wait!" Alphys yelled once more. This time she grabbed Ryan's arm to stop him and immediately pulled back as he turned around, a blush nearly coming to her yellow scales. They had made it back to the main room of the laboratory at that point and Ryan had been heading for the door he had burst open. "Please, I'm not one of the bad guys. I can help you."

Ryan gave the monster an almost sad look before saying, "Alright. But don't say I didn't warn you. Do you have a plan?"

Alphys just stood there, stunned, for a moment before she realized her offer had actually been accepted. When she recovered, she practically ran over to her computer. Brushing aside a pile of empty containers that had fallen on her keyboard, she started typing away. A moment later, a model came up on the giant screen that stood next to her desk. Two domes stacked on top of each other with many lines connecting the two slowly rotated as Alphys began pointing things out. "There are several elevators that connect Hotland and the core to the capital." She said as she gestured first to the bottom dome and then the top. Ryan guessed all of the connecting lines must be the elevators. The strange thing was they all seemed to connect to each other as well.

The lower dome had a massive machine sticking out of a lake of magma. Surrounding it, on top of smaller chunks of land, was a town of sorts. Hotland proper, Ryan guessed, which made the dome above the capital. He recognized some of its features even from the screen. "And as I mentioned earlier, the royal guard have most of them on lockdown." Alphys went on. "Because of that, Hotland is pretty aware you're in the vicinity as well. But I can get you through a way around – well technically above – the town and to the core, which should be less heavily guarded. Plus, the core has an elevator that goes right up to Asgore's castle. That… is where you're trying to go, right?" Ryan nodded. "Good. So… yeah! I just realized I'm rambling, so I'll try to make this quick. There's a whole network of mechanics that make up the distribution grid from the core to the rest of the Underground. It's not very well traveled so it'll work perfectly. It does cross paths with a few more readily traversed areas, but nothing that should cause you trouble. I have cameras everywhere so I should be able to lead you through it no problem."

Ryan waited a second for his brain to catch up with the monster's words. The end of the Doctor's explanation had come out in a jumble. Alphys looked ready to find some place to hide. Finally, he nodded. "Sounds solid enough." He told her. "And I certainly can't think of anything better. So I guess I'll have to trust you."

"W-wait, really?"

"Of course. You said you're on my side, right? So I'll believe you until you prove otherwise. Anything else I should know?" As he asked, began redoing his illusion spell in case he might need it. He changed the color of his shirt as well, figuring the slightest bit may help. Several monsters had already mistaken it as a part of his physical being, so a change in color may lead some to think he was a different person all together. That and he was getting sick of blue and purple anyway. He wished he could do something more complicated to change his appearance, but anything more would require too much concentration.

Once Alphys recovered from the shock of Ryan suddenly changing before her eyes, she swallowed. "Well, umm, remember how I just said there wouldn't be any problems? Well, there actually is just one tiny issue: A long time ago, I made a robot named Mettaton. Originally, I built him to be an entertainment robot. Like, you know, a robotic TV star or something. Anyway, I recently decided to make him more useful. You know, just some practical adjustments, like, um, anti-human combat features?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Of course, when I saw you coming, I immediately decided, 'I have to remove those features!' Unfortunately, I may have made a teensy mistake while doing so. And um, now he's an unstoppable killing machine with a thirst for human blood?"

Ryan simply stared at the monster for a long moment, expression unreadable. He then put his hand together in front of him before saying, "I'm leaving." He turned once more to the blown in door. "I'm sorry about that, by the way. Now, if you would be kind enough to show me the exit?" He did not wait for answer before he began looking down hallways for anything resembling an exit.

"Wait. I thought you said we were doing this?"

"Alphys, you just told me that there was a robot more hell bent on killing me than Undyne out there somewhere. And you call that a little problem?"

"It is, I swear. I set him to guard the entirety of Hotland and the core, so odds are you'll never run into him." Just then, Ryan felt the building shake. "Did you hear something?" Alphys asked once it settled. The building shook again, then again, and again. Ryan knew it could really only mean one thing. "Oh no…" The two almost said in unison.

Suddenly, the lab went dark. Before Ryan could ready any sort of defense, he heard a loud crash and the sound of tearing metal, followed by a voice. "Oh yes!" It boomed through the large room. The voice sounded synthesized and was overfilled with exaggerated excitement and emotion. "Welcome, beauties," the voice went on. A spot light opened between Ryan and Alphys. Standing in it was what looked like an old computer on a unicycle. The front of the box was covered in lights that formed the vague pattern of a face. It had long tube arms and held a microphone in one hand. He had no doubt in his mind that this was Mettaton. "To today's Quiz Show!" The robot managed to imitate a seventies show host perfectly despite the electronic voice. A theatrical assortment of lights and confetti fell from an unknown part of the ceiling. Music befitting of a game show began to play from an unknown location as well.

Mettaton held the mic close to the screen that served as his face. "Oh boy! I can already tell it's gonna be a great show. Everyone give a big hand to our wonderful contestant!" The robot gestured to Ryan before clapping its hands. More confetti fell on Ryan's head as another spotlight opened over him. "Never played before, gorgeous? No problem. It's simple. There's only one rule: answer correctly…" he took a pause, "… or you die!"

"As if." Ryan mumbled to himself before he attempted to run away. A bolt of lightning arced from the ceiling, hitting him and knocking him back under the spotlight.

"Sorry, dearie, running away is against the rules. You're going to have to answer all of the questions to make it out alive." Next, Ryan tried attacking the robot directly, but another bolt of electricity stopped him before he could do anything. "Now, now. You have to play properly if you want to be eligible for the prize."

With a glance to Alphys, Ryan saw the monster shaking her head and hands, gesturing him to stop. Ryan could not think of any other option but to go along with whatever was about to happen and hope he could make it out unscathed.

"Let's start with an easy one." The robot wheeled himself to the side, and a hidden projector lit up the wall behind him. "These are multiple choice questions so simply pick the one you think is right. Question one: What is the prize for answering correctly?"

Four choices appeared on the screen next to four letters. The choices were: A, money; B, mercy; C, New Car; or D, more questions. As much as Ryan wished the other three were true, he knew the likely answer and shouted almost immediately, "D!"

"Correct! What a terrific answer!" More confetti fell from the ceiling. It now coated the floor generously. Next question: What is the king's full name?"

Ryan did not even look at what all the options were. He knew this one well enough. "C!" he said when he saw Asgore Dreemurr written out.

"Correct again! But enough about you. Let's talk about me. What are robots made of?"

Only one answer that appeared for this question made sense to him, so he guessed, "B, metal and magic."

"Too easy for you, huh? Here's another easy one for you: Two trains, Train A and Train B, simultaneously depart Station A and Station B. Station A and Station B are two hundred fifty two point five miles apart from each other. Train A is moving at one hundred twenty four point seven miles per hour toward Station B, and Train B is moving at two hundred fifty three point five miles per hour towards Station A. If both trains departed at ten and it is now six minutes after, how much longer until both trains pass each other?"

The whole thing came out quicker that Ryan could keep track of and the written version of the question on the screen did nothing to help. Something in the back of his mind made him know that Train B would reach Station A in less than one hour and Train A would reach Station B in about two hours, but as for when would they pass each other, he had not the slightest clue. Ryan could not focus properly. His mind kept recalling a video he had seen several years ago containing a similar situation but would not help him to solve this problem at all now.

A timer on the screen counted down from thirty seconds. Think! This isn't hard. Just get the approximate and pick the closest answer! He got thirty two minutes, but two answers were close to that. He flipped a coin. "C!" A bolt of electricity came out of the robot and struck Ryan in the chest. It brought him to his knees.

"Wrong!" The robot almost seemed to sing in happiness. Breathless, Ryan fought back to his feet. "Don't 'count' on your victory." Ryan had been in the presence of **sans** long enough to recognize an attempt at a pun. "How many flies are in this jar?"

The robot pulled out a jar from behind its back. Many tiny specs moved to and fro with it. He knew he'd have no hope of getting an accurate count. And by the choices he would be hard pressed for luck. Over the music, he heard Dr. Alphys clear her throat. His eyes flicked to her. He noticed that she seemed to be making an 'A' with her hands. "A?" He guessed.

"Correct! Looks like you're pretty lucky today." Alphys gave him a thumbs up. Ryan saw her game and suppressed a smile. "Let's play a memory game. Which monster is this?"

A section of an image came up on the screen this time. He was expecting another rigged question, but he could clearly tell that the picture was of a Froggit. He looked to Alphys regardless and almost broke his poker face in confusion. She was saying it was Mettaton, but that did not make any sense.

Then it hit him. He saw through the trick. "D!" He shouted, trusting the doctor.

"I'm so flattered you remembered!"

"But can you get this one? Would you smooch a ghost?" The question caught Ryan off guard slightly. There was probably some deeper meaning to be garnered from the out-of-the-blue question, but that could be analyzed later. All of the options were the same and Alphys gave no indication that there was some trick to it. In fact she looked angry for some reason.

Finally, he just said the answer. "Heck yeah?"

"Great answer! Love it! Here's a simple one: How many letters in the name Mettaton?"

Ryan opened his mouth to answer but snapped it shut again when 'n' after 'n' started adding themselves to the end of the name. They ran off the edge of the screen and all of the answers continuously increased. He glanced at Alphys. She was making a 'C' and he echoed it.

"Of course that was easy for you! Time to break out the big guns: In the dating simulation video game 'Mew Mew Kissy Cutie" what is Mew Mew's favorite food?"

"Oh! Oh! I know this one!" Alphys shouted in excitement. Ryan tried to gesture to her to stop, but it all came out in a torrent. "It's snail ice cream. In the fourth chapter everyone goes to the beach and she buys ice cream for all of her friends. But it's snail flavor and she's the only one who wants it. It's one of my favorite parts of the game because it's actually a very powerful message about friendship and…" She finally seemed to realize what she was doing and slowed down. If reptiles could sweat, she certainly was.

"Alphys, Alphys, Alphys… You aren't helping our contestant, are you?" She shook her head vigorously, but the robot was not buying it. "Oh, you should have told me. I'll ask a question you'll be sure to know the answer to. Who does Dr. Alphys have a crush on?"

Ryan looked at the screen incredulously. Alphys was waving for him not to say anything, but since he did not feel like getting zapped again, he answered honestly. "I don't know."

"Correct!" Mettaton announced unexpectedly. "Alphys has a crush on the unknowable. She believes that there is someone out there who likes her, finds her interesting. Hello theoretical person. Alphys likes you. Too bad you don't exist." The music dimmed for a moment to be replaced by canned laughter.

"Hey, I've done research about this!" Alphys defended. "There are alternate universes out there! Someday, maybe, I could meet them…"

"You said the exact same thing about Mew Mew Kissy Cutie, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Person, if you're out there, how about giving us a sign right now?" Everything went silent. The three of them waited for a moment. Ryan considered trying to escape again. Then the music sped back up. "I guess that settles it then!"

"Wait! Maybe if we try again…"

"Well, well, well, with Alphys helping you, the show has no dramatic tension. We can't go on like this! But, this was just the pilot episode! Next up, more drama! More romance! More bloodshed! Until next time, darlings."

Mettaton's limbs retreated into its body and then the robot rocketed up out of the room. Ryan and Alphys both stared up at him in disbelief as he disappeared out of a window in the ceiling.

"Well that was certainly something." Alphys said half as if that was a daily occurrence for her.

"That seemed almost too planned." Ryan noted, still looking up at where the robot disappeared.

Alphys clapped her hands and the lights came back on in full. "Unfortunately, he has a measure of control over the lab. His systems are tied into everything from the doors to the cameras."

"So you're saying he could have been watching us plan a moment ago?"

"Umm…"

Ryan shook his head. "Something tells me this isn't going to be easy at…" Everything went black before he could finish.

 

His eyes opened as the light from the setting sun drifted over him from the through the trees. An instant later, he was on his feet looking back and forth through the sparse forest. He recognized where he was immediately. He was back on the surface near the cliff he had hiked to before he had fallen into the world of monsters. Where last he had seen the residue of late fall, spring was now in full bloom and green filled the trees and along the ground were thick patches of golden flowers. Something about this unsettled him, but he could not say what.

Wanting to be away from the flowers and out of the forest all together, he walked up the small but steep cliff to lookout at the top of the mountain. After so long underground, the world below him seemed almost unnatural. Wide valleys stretched to the horizon broken up by mountain ranges that were miles apart. Wispy clouds rolled low across a sky on its last minutes of blue. Light from the sun made them appear to almost be giant washes of fire in the sky. A chill wind rushed up the mountain to greet him, the tail end of the wind making wakes in the trees far below and the grass of plains closer to the foot of the mountain. The smell of the coming summer filled his nose.

He should feel relieved, happy that he was back in his home as if it were all some kind of dream, but only fear filled him. How had he gotten back? In addition, something felt wrong. He felt… empty. Or rather, the world felt empty as if he were all alone at the top of that cliff. Scanning the ground below offered no answers to him. The sun had yet to touch the top of the next closest mountain range and he thought it would be best to get off the mountain before dark. Just as he was about to turn to go, something caught his eye. A figure walked along the path near the base of the mountain, disappearing beneath the crest of a hill before he could get a good look at them.

He was racing down the mountain to catch the figure before he realized it. But when the thought of why came, he brushed it aside. Something was wrong and that person was the key to it. He did not know how he knew, but at the moment he felt did not need to. At a near sprint, he reached the hill he had first lost the figure and he scanned the horizon for any sign of them. It was something else that caught his eye, however.

Poking out over the trees was the top of a city that should not have been there and he understood immediately that was where the figure had gone. He followed a trail he did not recognize until it became a road. There were no cars on the road, no anything. And as he approached the outskirts of the mysterious city, that emptiness did not change. He entered a rundown town that made up the city's outskirts. Small homes were squeezed together along both sides of the street. All of the windows were open despite the evening chill as were every door. The buildings in the street were shoddy enough to explain its abandonment, but somehow that did not feel right.

Farther down the street, he began to hear voices. Not just one or two, but many, all layered on top of each other. As he grew nearer, he recognized the noises as shouts and screams and he began to run to the outcry. He saw the crowd of people as he rounded a corner and came upon a large park. The mob was gathered around something near its center. They were shouting curses and swears at whatever it was they surrounded. Much could not be made out as they shouted over one another, but he could make out one word: _monster_.

He began to fight his way into the crowd, trying to see what was at its heart. The people ignored him, letting him shove them aside with little resistance and without raising a complaint. Before he could make it to the center, the crowd began to part and the figure he had seen from the cliff was walking towards him.

It was a monster. At first, he even thought it was Toriel, dressed in the robes with the delta rune across their front, but much about this monster was slightly different. It was taller, for one, and the face was grim set and downturned. It seemed to be crying; it clutched a bundle of white cloth close to its chest. The air around the monster seemed to darken and shimmer as if light itself was being sucked into it.

It was hurt, he realized. Spots light seeped through the monster's robes and red stained the white bundle it carried. People behind the monster were throwing stones and worse at its back. Some came up and swung a bats and boards across its shoulders. The monster took all of it in stride as if they did not exist. It did not even flinch. As the monster passed him, he wanted to reach out to it; he wanted to tell it everything would be alright. He wanted to scream at the crowd to stop, but they all vanished before he could do anything.

He found himself standing alone in field of golden flowers once more. The rest of the park stood empty. "What do you know of my pain?" A voice echoed through the evening sky. Something made him look down. One of the flowers had a face in its center and it was looking up at him. Anger and pain filled the abyss of its eyes. And when he realized the flower was there, it smiled. "That day I learned the truth of this world: there are no 'happy endings.' Some are just a little less worse than others. And all we can ever do is struggle for that teeny bit better." Another breeze crossed the field and the flower closed his eyes as it blew through its petals.

"That day I died. I made it all the way back up the mountain and back through the barrier just to collapse at my parents' feet. But you already knew about that, didn't you. No monsters ever talk about it, but somehow you knew." He said nothing to the flower. He simply watched as its eyes followed the trail back up the mountain. "I bet you know everything, don't you? Or at least you think you do. But I truly know everything, especially about you. I've always known you better than anyone. And I've always known your secrets." Not for the first time, the flower seemed to stare past him, as if there was something over his shoulder only it could see, before turning its gaze back to the mountain.

"I died that day, but I wasn't scared, I thought it was what I deserved after everything. What did scare me was that I woke up. I was terrified. I couldn't feel my arms or my legs. My entire body had turned into a flower. 'Mom! Dad! Somebody help me!' I called out. But nobody came.

"Eventually, the king found me, crying in the garden. I explained what had happened to him. Then he held me. He held me with tears in his eyes, saying, 'There, there. Everything is going to be alright.' He was so… emotional. But, for some reason, I didn't feel anything at all.

"Soon I realized it didn't feel anything about anyone. My compassion had disappeared. And believe me, it's not like I wasn't trying. I wasted weeks with that stupid king, vainly hoping I would feel something. But it became too much for me and I ran away from home. Eventually, I reached the ruins. Inside, I found her. I thought of all people, she could make me feel whole again. She failed.

"I realized those two were useless. I became despondent. I just wanted to love someone. I just wanted to care about someone, but I couldn't. So I decided it wasn't worth living anymore. Not in a world without love. Not in a world without you. So, I decided to follow in your footsteps. I would erase myself from existence. And you know what? I succeeded. But as I left this mortal coil, I started to feel apprehensive. If you don't have a soul, what happens when you die? Something primal burned inside me. 'No!' I thought. 'I don't want to die!' And then I woke up, like it was all just a bad dream.

"I was back in the garden. Back at my 'save point.' Interested, I started to experiment. Again, and again, I brought myself to the edge of death. At any point, I could have let this world continue on without me. But as long as I was determined to live, I could go back."

"At first I used my powers for good. I became friends with everyone. I solved all their problems flawlessly. Their companionship was… amusing… for a while. As time repeated, people proved themselves to be predictable. What would a person say if I gave them this? What would they do if I said this to them? Once you know that answer that's it. That's all they are.

"It all started because I were curious, curious what would happen if I killed them. 'I don't like this,' I told myself. 'I'm just doing this because I have to know what happens.' But I found it liberating.

"But then, even that grew tiring. I'd done everything this world had to offer. I'd read every book. I'd burned every book. Won every game. Lost every game. I'd appeased everyone. I'd killed everyone. Sets of numbers, lines of dialogue, I've seen them all. But I could never predict you. From the moment you arrived, my power was useless as long as you stayed determined.

"I recognized you immediately and knew you would lead me to a way to rid of place once and for all. So I let you run free, guiding you along the proper path every so often, shaping you into the perfect tool to help me create my future."

"Why are you telling me all of this, if you think I already know it?" He asked the flower finally.

"Because there is no saving me." The flower smiled as it saw his shock before he could hide it. It laughed. "You really are an idiot. Did you really think you could keep that little secret from me forever? Even if you know everything about what happened, you have no idea what I've been through, the pain I've endured. There's no coming back from that. There's no saving _that_ kind of monster. And you know what? I don't want to be saved. Not anymore. So you should just play your part until your usefulness is done, just like everyone else."

"No, I haven't given up yet." He said determinately.

The flower laughed again. "Oh, but I bet you've tried, haven't you? And I bet you've failed countless times. We've even been here before too, haven't we? I bet you've died over and over again to all those you call friends trying after such a pointless goal. You must hate them, don't you? Beneath a mask of smiles and good nature is the desire to kill every last one of them just like me, isn't it? Or have you already? Did you give in to that anger yet? Tell me, what was it like?"

"I haven't hurt anyone. And I haven't died, not once. I don't have that power. I never did."

"But you must, if know what comes next. Why else would you hesitate?"

He nodded. "I do know what comes next. More than you, probably." As the sun set, he looked out to the city. None of the lights turned on, it was simply a shadow against the sky. "Would you like to know how this story ends? One day soon, I will stand before Asgore. I will try to talk to him, but he won't listen. The two of us will fight until we are too exhausted to move, and only then will the king see reason. Then, you will come to kill him. You will steal the six human souls and use their power to take control of this world. You'll try to take my soul too, but not before enacting your insanity on me over and over. Your power will ultimately be your down fall, however. You'll lose control and we'll both start back at the beginning. Unless, that is, I did everything right.

"Then one day we will both stand before the barrier once again. And this time, Asgore and I won't fight, but everyone will come to stop us. You'll use the distraction to steal not only the human souls this time, but the soul of nearly every monster as well. And finally you will be yourself again. You'll try to set everything back to zero, not caring about destroying the world anymore or even leaving it; content to just live out the same cycle over and over in an attempt to relive some semblance of the days you spent with the human that fell down here long ago.

"But even that you will give up. You'll open the barrier and vanish once more as your power is exhausted. And in a way you'll get what you want, because I'll refuse to leave without you. And if all was as it should, I would start from the beginning and try again.

"I'm certain that's how it will go now. Although I was certain something must have changed; that something I had done differently would steer the future in a different direction. But it's all been the same."

"You realize why, right?" The flower chimed in. "It's because this is all just a game to be played. Fate can only be within certain bounds outside of our control. And no matter how much we struggle, we will never escape those borders. Nothing will ever be different."

"No, it will be different. There's still time to try to change things. There's still time to save you so that everyone can be happy. I just need to find the way."

"Do you think I would let you now that I know what comes next? Do you think I don't know what you'll do to make me try to give up my goals if this all end where you say? Once I have a soul again, my compassion will return and you'll try to play it like a fiddle, won't you? I'll never let you have your 'happy ending.' Because once you have it, you won't want to play this game anymore. You'll leave and turn this world to dust, forgotten, just like every other toy in existence."

He shook his head. "When this is all over, however it ends, the world will go on and you and I with it. And, unlike me, you will play your part in the story. And I will see that this time it does make it to a proper ending."

"And what make you so certain of that?"

Because this is not a game anymore, flower.

The flower shivered as if another chill ran through the field, but the air was still. "What did you say?"

He smiled. He was not sure why the flower suddenly looked so uneasy, but that made it no less enjoyable. "I said this isn't a game anymore."

The flower became enraged. "No! That wasn't you. What are you hiding from me?"

"Enough of this." He said. "The next time we see each other, Asriel, will be at the end."

"You are mine, damn it! This world is mine! You will not take it from me!"

This world has not been yours for a long time.

"What does that mean? Who are you?"

You'll never know.

And then, Flowey lost all memory of that conversation.

And Ryan woke up.


	16. Metal Crusher

He was back in the examination room. One of the nearby machines beeped in time with his heartbeat loud enough to force his eyes open. He felt exhausted once more, to the point where he thought the monster had decided to take back her loan. Alphys herself was nowhere to be seen, he found as he looked around. Taking a deep breath, he decided to try to stand up.

As he swung his legs over the edge of the table, his body seemed to revive itself. He struggled to remember what had happened. Alphys had said something about a robot, it had shown up, there was some weird quiz show, and then nothing. He sighed, reaching up to rest his face in his hands. Just another setback letting those who wanted him dead get further ahead of him. How long had he been out, anyway?

Ryan reached into his pocket only to find that it was empty. Frantically, he shot up from the table, patting himself down to make sure he did not accidentally place it in the wrong pocket. No, it was gone. In desperation he looked around the room and glanced at a small tray next to him. His phone was sitting on top of it, headphones and charger wrapped up neatly on top of it. There was a note next to it. In a scratchy hand, it read,

_I thought I'd fix this for you. It seemed important. Sorry…_

_-Alphys_

He picked his phone up off the tray and looked it over. The screen was no longer cracked, and when he pressed the button on the side, it lit up as if it had never been broken. He smiled as he looked down at the picture of Sallie he used as a lock screen smiling back at him. "At least one thing's still right in the world." He said to himself before the phone began to ring. "Hello?" He answered.

Papyrus's voice met him on the other end. "Oh, good! I've been trying to call you for a few hours now. I was beginning to think something was wrong."

"Sorry, my phone was a bit broken for a while. What did you need?"

"I've been thinking since the last time we spoke, and I think I've come up with a way to solve everyone's problems: you, Undyne, and I should all hang out. I'm sure that if she got to know you, she'd come to our way of thinking."

Ryan nearly felt like laughing at the thought of hanging out with Undyne again after all that has happened. "Papyrus, I was fighting for my life against this woman just a little while ago."

"Even better! You two already got acquainted! I'm in front of her house now. She doesn't seem to be home right now, so I'll tell you when…" There was a noise on the other end as if a mountain had just fallen on the skeleton. "Actually, it seems like she just got back. So you should totally come over, if you want. It's the house in Waterfall that looks like a fish. You can't miss it. Now, I must find my shins. Good day, human!"

The called ended and Ryan let out a groan. "I don't think that will ever happen, bud." He said, pocketing the phone and walking out of the room.

Ryan found the monster scientist back in the main room by her computer, typing away to the sound of a Japanese song he thought he recognized. He also noticed the door to the entrance was no longer blown open as well. "It seems you're pretty resourceful after all." He commented as he reached the junk covered desk, eliciting a yelp from the monster. Alphys practically fell backwards out of her chair, clutching at her lab coat.

"Oh, you're awake." She managed to say once she calmed down a bit. "Sorry for putting you back on that table. I wasn't sure what else to do when you suddenly passed out again."

"It's alright. I understand." Ryan looked around the lab. All of the confetti had been cleared away, but the hole the robot had smashed through the wall was still there. "Mettaton still gone?" He asked as Alphys was once again attempting to make a dent in her messy desk.

"Um, yes." She answered after tossing an armful of empty containers down a chute. "I tracked him all the way back to the core before I lost him. A giant machine that converts geothermal energy into magical energy, you can understand that thing might throw out a lot of interference. Or maybe you don't. To be completely honest, I barely understand how that thing works myself."

"No, it makes sense." Ryan told her as he started to pick things off of the desk as well.

"Oh, you don't have to help with this."

"It's the least I could do. You woke me up, apparently shutting down a whole city to do so, and you helped me out with that crazy robot's quiz show. So once we're done with this we can start flush out the details of the plan."

"Wait, you're still going to listen to me."

"Of course I will." He said resolutely. "Even dismissing all of that stuff, I still owe you one." He waved the phone to her.

"What? Oh, that. There's no need. I did that mostly just to see if I could. It's a lot newer than anything I had seen down here before. Recently, it's seemed like human technology gets further away from us faster and faster. From a technical standpoint, that thing is magnitudes more powerful than anything else I've come across. It'd be more powerful than all of the computers down here combined if they weren't magically enhanced. There were so many things I wanted to experiment with in it. That phone alone could probably jump our technology forward decades. But I refrained because I could tell in meant a lot to you."

Ryan nodded. "More than even I will ever realize, I think."

"What's even on that thing?"

"Music, mainly, and a journal of sorts; I never really used the thing for much else, actually. Anyway, we should get down to business."

The two of them spent the better part of an hour spelling out the details of the plan, occasionally getting derailed into a conversation about technology or magic or even anime, much to Alphys's surprise. Ryan was to follow a path into Hotland and take an elevator to the service and maintenance tunnels above them. Thus allowing him to bypass the town itself and head directly to the core.

"I went ahead and added my number to your contacts. That way I can give you directions if you need them. You don't mind that I did that, right?"

The core itself could lead to be a bigger problem. The whole internal works of it were modular and were regularly rearranged as a part of maintenance procedure. Alphys would have to dig up the current arrangement in order to guide him to the correct elevator so he would not have to walk through half a city that may or may not know what he is.

"From what I've seen, you can pretty much handle yourself. It should be easy. You probably don't even need my help, really…"

"Your help will make it a lot easier still, though. So I'm glad to have it." Ryan smiled reassuringly at the monster and she lit up slightly.

With everything said and done, Alphys started leading Ryan towards the exit of the lab. "Anything else you think I should know?"

"Oh, I also signed you up for the Underground's number one social media site." That made Ryan look at her cross. His look even made her shrink back a bit. "T-that way we're officially friends, Hehe." The awkward smile she gave him was not helping her argument. They stopped in front of a door at the end of a long hallway. "I'm… I'm gonna go to the bathroom." She ran off before he could say anything further.

When he turned back to the door, it slid open on its own and Ryan was hit with the volcanic heat once more. He stepped out into the cavern and the door slid shut behind him. It was dark; the glow off of the molten rock below barely outlined the jagged edges of the path where stood. Without hesitation, he reached out to the mysterious source of his powers and felt his senses sharpen. Shapes resolved themselves in black, the smell of sulfur intensified, but the heat only dimmed. While the amount of information his body was able to take in increased, so too the ability to sift through it and choose what to focus on. It was sort of like his body became someone else's as he began making his way to the other end of the path.

The cavern was small, merely a pocket in the rock between Waterfall and Hotland. Alphys had told him there would be a number of such between him and the elevator he needed to take that served as the real staring place.

He did not make it far before his phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out, there was a notification for an app he did not recognize: UnderNet. The social media thing Alphys had told him about, he was sure. He stifled a groan. He would have to figure out how to get rid of that in time, but there was none now. Out of pure curiosity, he read the message. It said,

_Alphys updated her status: humans are scary…_

It was followed by an ASCII face that looked like it was crying. It puzzled him; why would she write something like that he could see? Then a more important question struck him: who else was she writing it to? His anxiety rose as the message got two likes less than a second later. He did his best to push it out of his mind. All he had to do was make it through here and none of that would matter anymore.

He swiped away the message and moved on. He made it two more steps before is phone buzzed again.

_Alphys updated status: I gotta ask Undyne about the fight they had later._

He swiped it away as well.

He entered a tunnel that wound its way to his left. His phone buzzed once more.

_Alphys updated status: for now I gotta call up the human and guide them._

He swiped it away before he was tempted to go back to lab and ask just what the monster was thinking. It did not matter.

The tunnel opened up to another, much brighter cave. An escalator wide enough for three monsters side by side rose up to another hole on the opposite end. Ryan stepped onto it just as his phone buzzed again. He knew who it was,

_gonna call them in a minute!_

He seriously considered telling her to stop and to call her himself, but maintained that would be better to let it be and just ignore the notifications.

He emerged on what appeared to be a bridge. Gas overflow pipes lined the sides, sticking out from the molten rock. All of them were lit with a blue flame that grew and shrank as they prevented the escaping gasses from whatever system hid beneath the magma from building up and causing an explosion. He wondered, vaguely, if there was any form of pollution to worry about and if monsters were aware of the dangers it could pose. His phone buzzed again.

_I hate-_

He swiped it away without even reading it. "This is my life now…" He said to himself as he crossed the bridge. "She can call when she's ready." He went on. "And if need her before then, I can just call her. Besides, it's been pretty straightforward so far."

As if the universe had heard him, he reached the end of the bridge and the path split off in two directions before him. Or rather, it ended in two different directions. There was a decent sized gap separating the platform he was on and the ones to either side of it. Rust covered pipes grew out of the ends of each path and steam was rising up from them out of leaks both big and small. He walked to the edge to his left before he tried to jump it, trying to make out any indication that it was the right way.

The cloud of steam suddenly became a geyser. He had just enough time to shout in dismay before he was flung over the gap between the platforms. Having been caught by surprise, he landed on the other side shoulder first but managed to avoid injury by rolling back to his feet. "Well that was unexpected." He understated. Brushing himself off, he looked down at the similar arrangement of pipes on that end of the gap. "Let's try that again."

He stepped to the edge again and braced himself. Sure enough, a jet of steam soon blasted him into the air. This time he landed on his feet and only stumbled a little bit. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket again. He let it be. Instead he went to another edge and jumped again, shouting in excitement. He was having far too much fun with this.

As he landed back in the center for what was most likely the fifth or sixth time, his phone finally rang. He put it to his ear. "Hello?" Only the sound of the dial tone met him. He pulled the phone away from his head to look at the screen. It had definitely been Alphys, had she hung up him, or was the call dropped for some reason?

A notification that appeared a moment later answered the question for him.

_OMG I did it. Claws haven't shook like that since Undyne called me to ask about the weather._

Ryan shook his head and decided it would just be faster to just pick a path and test his luck himself. A few more jumps led him to a room right out of a spy movie. The passage abruptly turned from rock into metal, but that was not the strange part. Lasers crisscrossed through the hall, some stationary and some standing still, making a maze the likes of which he had not seen since he was a kid.

His phone rang again. This time Alphys actually answered. "Uh, h-hi, so, the blue lasers. Uh, I mean, Alphys here! Hi! The blue lasers won't hurt you if you don't move. O-orange ones, um, y-you have to be moving, and they, um, they won't, um… Move through those ones! Uh, bye."

He stared at his phone for a moment. "She's worse than I was." He looked down the hallway again. "Orange, blue, hardly matters, really." He went on. "I'm not dealing with any of it if I can help it." He raised a shield in front of him, analyzing the spell to see if he could do something a bit different. He began pulling and reworking some of the properties, hoping in the back of his mind that he did not accidentally blow himself up. After a minute of tweaking, the shield began to darken, taking on a misty gray that filled its volume until it was fully opaque. Experimentally, he put the shield in front of one of the lasers; it blocked it completely. "Problem solved." He smiled to himself.

On the other side of the hallway, Ryan's phone buzzed again. He looked at it for no reason other than he had nothing else to focus on at the moment. The constant reminders of why Ryan avoided social media were beginning to wear on his good mood.

_Oh my god I forgot to tell them where to go._

It was followed by a picture of a trash can with several pink, glittery filters over it and the caption 'cute pic of me right now.' "Yes you did, Alphys, and your help would be much appreciated at the moment." The path had turned back to stone and it opened into another cavern that stretched out before him. The magma was farther below now, Ryan noted. The end of the path branched out in three directions before him. The two to his sides disappeared in the shadow of a corner and the one ahead was blocked by a door twice as tall as him. A pulsing green pattern he could not put meaning to covered its surface as well as two large red lights that did not waiver. His phone rang again. "A-Alphys here! The door down the middle path will stay locked until you s-solve the puzzles on the right and left. I… I think you should go to the right first." She hung up without another word.

"Thank you." Ryan said as if she was still on the other end before placing his phone back in his pocket. He looked back down the path to his right, but the dim did not reveal anything new to him. "I thought she said all of the puzzles were off…" He mumbled before making his way around the corner.

The rock path gave way to an entrance that clearly looked artificial; a metal tower that rose far above his head and into the rock at the top of the cavern. The tower had the same glowing green pattern as the door, and Ryan's instincts told him that they were definitely linked.

Two monsters sat before the entrance with their legs dangling over the side of the path. One wore a suit and looked like a green ox, and the other wore a tank top and seemed to be made of thick, oily black smoke. They both had a look that said they had been sitting there a while and were not particularly happy about it. Another thing Alphys had made clear was that he should not have run into any monsters before he had made it to the tunnels above. She would have a lot to explain the next time she called.

They caught sight of him before he could decide what to do. "Hey!" The monster in the suit shouted, waving at Ryan and offering a friendly smile. "You may have already noticed, but the way to the capital's been blocked off somehow. If you were hoping of getting there anytime soon, I'm afraid you're out of luck."

One he was sure they did not recognize what he was, Ryan approached the monsters. The one that looked to be made of smoke merely glanced at him before going back to staring into the darkness. The monster reminded Ryan of Grillby, so he paid it little thought. "How'd that happen?" He asked, taking a closer look at the tower.

The suited monster shrugged. "No one seems to know. I called a maintenance crew to try and open it, but I've still been stuck here all morning. "It wasn't all bad though. I had time to catch Mettaton's latest show. The special effects were amazing this time around! I swear that human almost looked real!"

Ryan's attention snapped to what the monster had said. "Show?"

The monster's expression brightened further. "Did you not get to see it yet? Then I won't say much, but it was this crazy quiz show this time around where the main contestant was supposed to be a _human_. It was a great riot. Actually, you look a lot like the monster they got to play that human. You got any cousins in the acting business?"

"No I can't say I do."

The monster shrugged again. "Well, I'd be careful then. You might get mistaken for whoever it was a lot in the near future. And that can be either a good thing or a bad thing."

_Most likely bad…_ Ryan thought to himself. So the show was more than just an act. That was not good, but it was not particular horrible either, he realized. It only served to confirm that the Underground was very aware of his presence now. A fact that would have been true sooner or later anyway. "Back to the other matter?"

"Oh, right, the door. Normally it wouldn't be much of a problem, but the puzzle that keeps it locked is broken. And thus why we're stuck here. What can you do, I guess. Just means I get out of work for the day." The other monster nodded in agreement.

"I think I'll try to take a look at it." Ryan decided.

"Be my guest. But if you somehow get it working again, don't tell me about it." The monster winked at him and Ryan returned a smile before entering the tower.

The interior reminded him of an arcade. The only light came from strips that bordered the floor and framed the edge of a railing not far into the room. There was another occupant besides himself. A monster, or rather the head of a monster, sat in the corner seeming to try to work out his predicament. "I heard the puzzle's broken." Ryan said as he went up to the monster.

The monster bounced into the air as it spoke. "The door leading through the area is closed?" the head asked? "So I tried the puzzle? But it kept freezing up, and now it won't turn on at all? And my coworkers won't help? It's like they don't even want to go to work?"

Ryan's brow furrowed. "Why are you phrasing everything like a question?"

"What do you mean?"

His phone buzzed again. "…Never mind."

_I wonder if it would be unfun to explain the puzzle to them…_

The message read. "No please do," He said to his phone. Alphys's status updates were only serving to turn his confusion into frustration at this point. "I would like to not be here all day, thank you, and the only experience I have with puzzles down here is from an overprotective mother and a skeleton whose competence can't be compared to anything because it doesn't exist!"

"What?" The head monster said to him.

"Not you!"

"Rude…"

Ryan turned his attention back to the room. Below the balcony, he could just make out the reflection of a large glass screen. And in the center of the railing there was a box that had both buttons and a joystick on its surface. He gave the joystick an experimental shake and pressed a few buttons as well. Nothing happened. With a sigh he went back outside.

He decided to see if the other side held anymore promise before trying anything else. Around the corner of the left path, however, a laser grid met him, blocking his path to an identical tower. Another two monsters sat near this one as well. One a green flame that reminded him even more of Grillby, the other looked like an octopus pressed into a vague humanoid shape. They both wore the same navy-style school uniform and their heads snapped up when they saw him turn the corner. "Hey!" The flame girl shouted to him. "Think you can help us out? We're a little stuck…"

"So it seems." Ryan said absently as he looked over the lasers. Whatever was powering them was hidden in the rock. "How this happen?" He asked.

The monster tossed her arms in the air frustration. "We have no idea. We were on our way to school when we found that the path had been sealed off for no good reason and when we went try and do something about it, this thing just snapped on."

"Did you try magic?" Ryan suggested.

"We know fire and water between us." The other monster answered. "Anything in Hotland is proof to fire by design, and those things are too deep in the wall for anything I tried to work.

"Hmm." Ryan considered his options. He could tie off a shield to take care of the problem, but he felt something a bit more permanent would be better. That, and he wanted to test something he remembered being able to do once before. "Let's see if this fairs any better." He said as he raised his hand. Alphys had said she'd hit him with enough energy to power a city, and he still felt like a good deal of that had not burned off. He drew on more than he ever had before, but still nowhere near what he felt he had, and unleashed it all at once.

Electricity leapt from his fingers just as it had during his fight with Undyne, temporarily filling the corridor with a blinding light. The air cracked as the lightning hit the wall and the lasers disappeared as chips of rock and dust poured from the impact, covering Ryan and falling down to the boiling earth below. He pulled back his hand to stare as arcs of static still bounced across his hand. That was impressive even to him. It was too risky to use regularly though; it took far too much energy to be of any consistent use. He had given up a long time ago on trying to master the conventional method of wielding magic. It was just too slow compared to when he used it his way. And he could do far more than most monsters his own way anyway. Sometimes it was hard to remember the risk it carried though; his resent bought with Undyne was a fine example of that.

The lasers now disposed of, the two monsters practically ran up to him. "Whoa!" The Aquarian monster proclaimed. "How did you do that?"

Ryan finally put his hand to his side. "I don't really know." He admitted.

The fire monster was looking at him closely, as if trying to figure something out. Suddenly it seemed to dawn on her. "Wait, I know you! You work for my dad at his restaurant! No wonder you were able to do that if half of what he said about you was true."

Ryan tried his best to hide his shock, but was fairly sure he was unsuccessful. "You're Grillby's…? He never mentioned he had a daughter." Grillby _talked_ about him?

The fire girl shrugged. "Not surprising. He doesn't talk about himself much. _I_ hardly even know what he used to do before I came along. My mom once said he used to be part of the guard, but I'm pretty sure she was joking. Anyway, it's nice to meet you, I'm Ruby and this is my friend Jamie. So what brings you here?"

"Trying to get to the capital."

"You and me both. We were trying to get the puzzle in there solved when it just sort of shut off and refused to turn back on again. Then the lasers happened. That door is stuck closed until somebody shows up who actually knows how to fix this stuff, I'm afraid."

"Hey, maybe you can do the same thing you did to those lasers to the door." The other monster suggested.

"Wow, Jamie, all of the sudden you _want_ to go to school?" Ruby teased her friend.

The other monster shrugged. "Beats being stuck here."

"Sorry," Ryan intercepted, "But I'm afraid that's more of a once-per-day kind of spell."

"That doesn't surprise me, actually." Ruby went on. "Oh well, guess we'll have to take the long way."

"There may be something else I can try, though." Ryan added before they could walk off.

Back at the door, still pulsing with green light, Ryan gave it an experimental push. Not surprisingly, it did not budge. "That wasn't much of an attempt…" Jamie commented behind him.

Ryan turned to the monster and gave her an aggravated look. "Give me a minute. I'm just trying to establish a baseline here."

The monster rolled her eyes. "If you say so." Ruby simply giggled behind her hand.

Ryan turned back to the door and gave it another push, this time with all of the strength he could muster with aid of his power. He knew for a fact that he was strong enough now push a rock twice his height and just as wide without the aid of any particular spells, if not very far, but the door still did not budge. "If all you were going to do was try to push it open, you didn't have to drag us up here with you." Jamie commented again.

"Don't worry." Ryan said without turning around that time. "I still got plenty of tricks up my sleeve." He pulled his fist back and over his head, readying a spell. "You might want to take a step back." With looking to see if the girls actually listened to him, he swung.

Before his fist actually made contact with the door the air exploded around it and the thick metal doors folded in on themselves like paper. The whole cavern shook with the force of the blow. Rock fell from above, luckily none of them hitting the path, and the ground still rumbled when he heard his phone ring.

"What the heck was that?" Alphys practically shouted when he answered. "An earthquake?"

"No, I opened the door." Ryan said casually.

"You what?"

"The puzzles weren't working, so I opened the door." He explained.

"Oh…" The scientist still sounded like she did not understand. "Awesome." She added before the call clicked off.

Ryan turned back to the other monsters. They both had seemed to not take his advice in stepping back and were currently picking each other off the ground. "Okay, I'll admit it: that was impressive." Jamie commented as she straightened her clothes.

"He almost reminds me of Undyne." Ruby added as her fluid form reset itself.

"Oh god no!" Ryan and Jamie shouted simultaneously. And the monster added. "The last thing we need is two of _her_ around here." They all laughed at that thought.

On the other side of the door, the path split in several directions nearby. The two girls began heading down one of the first branches and stopped when they saw that Ryan was not following. Ruby leaned over to whisper something to her friend and then ran over to him. "Hey, you should come with us to our school." She offered. "I'd love to show you off to the rest of my friends. It's near the edge of the city too, so it should be on the way to wherever you're headed."

The monster grabbed onto his arm like he had already agreed, but he pulled it away. "Sorry, I have a stop off in the core before I head to the city." He told her, loud enough for Jamie to hear as well.

The fire monster shrugged. "Oh well, it was a fun thought." She then ran back to her friend. "Good luck with whatever you're doing. Hopefully we'll run into each other again sometime."

"Maybe." Ryan shouted back as the two were hidden by the shadows. "Maybe…" He turned back to the path ahead and phone rang once again.

"Hey, I just got a ping on sensors from Mettaton." Alphys warned as he answered the call. "He still shouldn't be anywhere near you, but he's definitely not in the core anymore. Just be on the lookout."

"Hey, Alphys?" Ryan chimed in before she could hang up on him again.

"Yeah?"

"I have headphones. They have a mic on them. I can use it to keep on the line so you don't have to keep calling me every two minutes."

"Oh… Umm… yeah, sure." Alphys said reluctantly.

Ryan spent a minute untangling his headphones out of his pocket. He realized, briefly, that he had left the charge cable back at the lab. Oh well, he had not needed that in a long time now.

Running the wire down his shirt, he put a headphone in his ear and said into the mic "Check, check, can you hear me? I've never actually used this thing before."

"I can hear you." Alphys said. She sounded farther away now to Ryan. She must have put her phone down on the desk or something similar.

Ryan made some final adjustments before placing his phone back in his pocket. "Still straight head, right?" he asked before moving on.

"Yup."

The ground rose gently as he went on and the cavern began to grow dimmer. Soon he would either need a light or his enhanced sight again. It was silent as well; Alphys did not say anything for several minutes, in fact she barely seemed to move. Until, finally, she spoke up.

"You don't sound that worried. About Mettaton, I mean."

Ryan shrugged, though she was not there to see it. "He didn't seem that tough. If I hadn't been so tired last time, I probably could have taken him."

Most of the gloat was for her benefit, but it did not seem to lesson Alphys's worry. "I wouldn't be so sure. He's a tricky one. And also… Please try not to hurt him."

The request surprised Ryan more than a little. "I can't promise anything if he tries to kill me, but I'll do my best."

"A-and Asgore…"

Ryan stopped. He turned out to the darkness and hoped he was at least looking in the relative direction of one of Alphys's cameras so she could see his face.

"Alphys, I just want you to know that I have no intention of hurting anyone. I'm sure you've seen how I've handled myself in the past. I just want to talk to him. And hopefully together we can make a better world for all of us."

"But…"

"What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. I was just thinking that you're a lot different than when you first showed up down here. You're very… outspoken."

Ryan laughed to himself. "I guess you kinda have to be, dealing with monsters all the time. I would have never thought it possible of myself a year ago, hell, a few months ago. You do a lot of research into humans, right? So maybe you'd appreciate this addition. You're right; I was a very introverted person. I still think I probably am, though I'd need to find another human to truly test it. Not much chance of that, is there? Regardless, while I don't know if I could trace the exact roots of it, I'd attribute it mostly to the nature of modern day man. Humans have the tendency to get offended by everything, or take everything you say the wrong way unless you articulate perfectly, and then they sometimes still do it on purpose. Not all of them, but most. And so, for someone like me who can only correctly form about one sentence in five, I just started keeping what I had to say to myself. My justification being: no one cares. I'd even hesitate to post things online under a fake name." He laughed at himself before continuing.

"Down here though, everyone seems to genuinely care about one another in some fashion. So, I guess, thank you, and every monster, for breaking me out of my shell."

"Uh… no problem, I guess." The scientist's awkwardness made Ryan realize how long he had been talking and he laughed once more.

A little ways further, the ground turned from rock into what Ryan could only describe as fifties kitchen tiles, patterned in an alternating pale blue and green. "Someone been redecorating?" Ryan asked absently.

"What?"

"The floor." Ryan explained.

"I can't see it. What, is something wrong?"

"No it's just-" The cavern went pitch black before he could finish. "Uh, Alphys?"

"Hmm? Oh, the lights turned off! That's weird. Don't worry, I'll hack into the light system and brighten it up in there." The light returned, brighter than it had been in the first place, and Ryan found himself standing now in a fully furnished fifties style kitchen. Or rather, in a stage set up like a fifties style kitchen. The lights that had been turned back on were bright stage lights that somehow still managed to add to the heat of this place. "Oh no." He half heard Alphys say as he echoed it himself.

Sliding in from some hidden entrance behind him, Mettaton wheeled his way over to the counter that Ryan found himself standing behind. "Oh yes!" Once more, the robot held a mic to the front of its body. Its synthetic voice made Ryan flinch. Looking at the mic, he could only think about what that one monster had said about the TV show. Though it was too bright in front of him to see if there were any cameras. "Welcome, beauties, to the Underground's premier cooking show!" A sign popped up on the other side of the counter alongside canned applause. It read Cooking with a Killer Robot. _Apt_ , Ryan thought. "Pre-heat your ovens, because we've got a very special recipe for you today! We're going to be making a cake. My lovely assistant here will gather the ingredients. Everyone give him a big hand."

Ryan realized the corner he had been backed into as more canned applause rang through the stage and the robot gestured to him as his 'lovely assistant'. He decided that if their last run in had been filmed, this one likely was being filmed as well. He had no idea how many could be watching this; there could even be some that he knew. That meant he could not just take the robot apart and get this over with. He would have to play along.

Mettaton gave him a list of ingredients and he rummaged through fridge and cabinets until he found all of them. Then he dumped them all on the counter at the front. "Perfect! Great job, beautiful! We've got all the ingredients we need to bake the cake!" _Wait for it_ , Ryan thought. "Oh my, wait a magnificent moment! How could I forget! We're missing the most important ingredient!" _There it is._ "A human soul!"

"Hold on. I have a plan." Alphys's voice said in his ear. "Stall for a few seconds. I'll be right back."

From under the counter, Mettaton pulled out a chainsaw and came at Ryan with it. He tried to play it off. "Human? What human? I don't see a human."

"Oh, you're not fooling me sweetie." A ringtone Ryan did not recognize could suddenly be heard over the revving power tool, and the robot turned it off. "Hello?" Mettaton said, seemingly to no one. "I'm kind of in the middle of something here."

"Wait a second!" Ryan heard Alphys's voice on the other end of whatever the robot was using for a phone. "Couldn't you make a substitution in the recipe?"

"A substitution? You mean use a different, non-human ingredient? Why?"

"Uh, what if someone's… vegan?" Ryan snorted despite the mania of his current situation.

"Vegan?" Mettaton said almost incredulously.

"Well, I mean-"

"That's a brilliant idea Alphys! Actually, I happen to have an option in stock! MTT-Brand Always-Convenient-Human-Soul-Flavor-Substitute!" Ryan looked down at his chest. Did his soul really have flavor? He wondered. If it did, he guessed it probably tasted like coconut and metal. "A can of which is just over on that counter." Mettaton pointed to the far corner of the stage where a small, red-labeled can sat on an end table. "Well, darling? Why don't you go get it?"

Ryan did as he was told once more. Maybe, he could even use the moment to get away. But he quickly realized that the exit was blocked off and the cameras following him prevented him from doing anything else but finish what he started. When he got to the counter and reached out for the can, he watched in shock as it rose into the air, counter and all, on some massive tower made up of more, haphazardly stacked tables. "You got to be kidding me!" He groaned.

"By the way, our show runs on a strict schedule." Mettaton informed as he rolled up behind him. "If you can't get the can in the next minute, we'll just have to go back to the original plan. So, better start climbing, beautiful."

As the robot flew off to somewhere else, Ryan looked back to the tower. The top of which had disappeared far above his head. He was not sure he would be able to make it anywhere close to the can in just a minute. "Alphys?" Ryan said into his phone.

"Yeah?"

"I can't jump that high."

Ryan thought he heard the monster squeak. "Umm, d-don't worry! I might have a plan. When I was fixing your phone I added a few… features. Open it up." Ryan did just that. Taking his phone out of his pocket, he looked at the screen. "You see that app that says 'jetpack?'" Sure enough, such an app was right in the corner of the first page. "Press it!" He did. He was not sure what he had expected, but his phone suddenly floating out of his hand and transforming into a rocket-powered jetpack was not quite it. He stared down at the object in his hand in amazement. "There, you should have just enough fuel to reach the top." Apparently it still worked as a phone as well.

"Okay, first question: why?" Ryan asked as he pulled the straps around his shoulders.

"I… couldn't help myself?" The monster answered meekly.

"Alright, how?"

"There's no time. You need to start flying!"

Ryan tightened the straps so the thing would not go anywhere. "Don't need to tell me twice." The left strap had a large red button sewn into it. He hit it and the rockets ignited propelling him into the air almost immediately. He found the controls to be relatively intuitive, if he were to lean to the left or right as if he were still standing on the ground he would fly to the left or right. He picked up speed as he ascended up the counter column. There was nothing to control that so he hoped that it had some sort of automatic bleeders once he got to the top. Not that it was anywhere in sight yet.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ryan saw Mettaton's boxy shape flying up after him. The robot rose up until he was just above Ryan and then slowed to match his speed. Then he started to throw things at him. Ryan dodged out of the way of several small objects that were hurled towards him, almost spinning out of control as he did. _Were those eggs?_ He thought to himself. Sure enough, another object hit him square in the head, hurting only slightly more than if it were just dropped on his head normally. He wiped a hand through his hair and found it was covered in raw egg. How was this supposed to stop him from making it up there?

As if to answer, a cloud of white burst into the air above him. He did not have time to dodge and flew strait through it. The white dust covered him head to toe. He tried to shake it off, but most of it stayed put. What the heck was going on? Did he not have any better weapons than cooking ingredients? He returned his gaze to the robot just in time to see a white streak hit him straight in the eyes. He blinked away the small white grains as much as he could but his vision was still blurry.

Cooking ingredients or not, they seemed to be doing the trick. The combination of egg and flour were working to gum up the intakes of the jetpack, causing him to go slower for a few moments. And what he could only guess was sugar was making it hard to see what and where the robot was throwing next.

Ryan felt mad at himself more than anything. He walked, or rather flew, right into all of it. Mettaton loosed more eggs, many more this time. He dodged what he could, but there were too many he could not and many more he could not see properly to move away from. The eggs that hit him did not hurt that much but gummed up the flour that was already on him even more. Then the robot threw another white cloud and he was covered in an even thicker coating of flour. At this rate, the robot would bake him into a cake anyway. Or at the very least he was getting him ready for the fryer.

Ryan would not let the robot have his way so easily. Throwing his weight, he turned into a vertical roll and, as he did, his blasted the goop covering him away. He blinked the last of the sugar away as he straightened out. Another wave of eggs was ready to meet him. _Focus_ , Ryan thought. He concentrated on fine tuning his movements, moving only as much as necessary. _Just like a video game,_ he thought to himself, _find your openings_. Mettaton must have seen that his tricks were no longer having the same effect for the eggs did not stop falling and Ryan did not stop dodging. He started pushing himself towards the robot, inching closer as he avoided the eggs. Closer and closer he tried to get. The eggs came faster; Ryan pushed away clouds of flour with spells of air and shielded himself from the sugar. _Closer, almost…_ With one final burst of speed, he thundered into the robot knocking him out of the way and clearing the top of the column.

He slowed to a stop with the descending whine of jet engines and reached out to the can on top of the pillar. "My, my," Came the electronic voice from below him. Mettaton floated back up until he was eye level with him on the other side of the can. "It seems you've bested me. But only because you had the help of the brilliant doctor Alphys. Oh, I loathe to think what would have happened without her. Well toodles!" The robot flew off, leaving a rather confused Ryan floating next to the can. "Oh yes, about the substitution," The robot flew back, shouting. "Haven't you ever seen a cooking show before? I already baked the cake ahead of time, so forget it!" Grinding his teeth, he watched the robot fly away without any further explanation as to what just happened.

Ryan hit the button to deactivate the jetpack and let himself fall back to the ground. When he landed on the pale tiles once more the jetpack folded itself back into his phone, landing in is hand which he shoved back into his pocket. The stage light had turned themselves off and his eyes adjusted back to the dim light of the magma far below. He could only hope the cameras were off as well.

"Wow… We did it! We really did it!" Alphys exclaimed. "Great job out there team." She hesitated before adding. "Well, uh, anyway, let's keep heading forward."

"Can we talk about how ridiculous that was?" Ryan could no longer keep a reign on his vexation.

"Sorry…" Alphys mumbled. "He's a show robot. Stuff like that is what he does, unfortunately."

"But it all just seemed so… set up. There was no way he could have pulled that off unless he knew I was going this way."

The scientist suddenly sounded very nervous. "Set up? N-no! I think it's just because he has the home field advantage. He has stages like that set up all over Hotland. I don't even know where they all are hidden, really. You know the saying, 'location, location, location.'" The last was said in a strange impression of Mettaton's artificial voice. It was funny enough to get Ryan out of his bad mood.

"I guess you're right." He admitted. "Though, I'd hate to have to deal with more stuff like that if I run into him again."

" _If_ you run into him again." Alphys reinforced. "There's still several ways you could take to get anywhere from this point. The odds of crossing paths again are slim, trust me."

"Alright." The path forward had been unblocked at the robots departure. Ryan was worried he would have to blow another door open. After a short tunnel, he found himself inside of the Underground's third major dome. Most of the ground that stretched out before him was molten rock. Near the center, Ryan could just make out buildings through the heat haze. In the very center, a gargantuan metal building loomed almost to the top of the dome. It looked to be made up of smaller structures all connected by a vast array of wires, tubes, and pipes. Even from afar, he felt like the massive machine was looming directly over him. The whole thing gave off an eerie sense that made him shiver. "What is that?" Ryan asked Alphys almost involuntarily.

"That's the core: the source of all power for the Underground. That's where we're going to go. It has an elevator directly to Asgore's castle, remember?"

"Right… That thing's still pretty far away though." It was mostly his nerves talking at that point. What was it about that place?

"You'll be there before you know it. Come on, the elevators close by."

Ryan had thought the path he needed to take was the one that seemed to stretch all the way from where he was to the core. But that was just a trick of his mind; the path he was seeing was far below the ledge where he stood. He shook his head to clear some of the fog that seemed to be trying to envelop it and turned away from the core. The path ascended a small part of the dome's wall before Ryan came upon another metal tower. "That's it." Alphys told him. "That will take you to the maintenance and control center. "See, the hard part's already done."

Ryan let out a breath he had not realized he was holding. The elevator doors opened automatically as he approached. It was larger than Ryan expected, big enough to fit several of the largest monsters he had seen. When he stepped to the center, he heard a ding and the doors sealed shut behind him. "Somehow I have the feeling that's going to turn out to not be true…"


	17. Stronger Monsters

The elevator whirred as it ascended, but there was silence besides. Ryan was beginning to think he had sounded a little less than cheerful with his off-hand comment than he had intended. He could no longer even hear Alphys shifting in her chair or typing away at her keyboard anymore. It probably meant it was a bad time to bring what had happened before up again, but he wasn't sure when he would get another chance like this. "Alphys?" He began, eyes shifting to the camera he spotted in the corner.

"Yeah?" The monster's voice came from the other end after a few seconds.

"About that broken puzzle before? I thought all of them were supposed to be disabled due to the 'inconvenience they caused the general public.' So, what happened?"

There was a moment before the scientist answered, and the discomfort on her voice was plain. "Remember how I mentioned the core gives off a lot of interference? Well, it effects a lot more than just radio waves, quite a lot more, and that sort of just happens sometimes."

"You're telling me that machine can cause anything using magic to just go on the fritz? That sounds pretty dangerous."

"It's pretty rare for something like that to happen, actually. We just got pretty unlucky." Alphys gave a nervous laugh.

The elevator slowed to a stop and Ryan's sour luck showed itself once more as a monster came into sight just as the elevator doors finished sliding open. Another living body of flame, this one barely up to Ryan's waist, whistled to itself as it turned around the corner and started walking towards him.

Ryan tried to think of a way to hide but the monster froze before he came up with anything. "Hey!" It shouted, running up to him. Close up, Ryan saw that there was a yellow star over mush of the monster's body, he wondered what it could signify despite himself. "Who are you? What are you doing up here?" The monster questioned, waving an accusatory finger at him.

"Uh…" Ryan struggled to come up with some form of believable story, but Alphys spoke in his ear first.

"Tell him I sent you."

"Alphys sent me." Ryan said a little too quickly. But he relaxed when he saw the monster's suspicion all but vanish.

"Tell him you're there to gather data on the energy flow from the main distribution center." He did, and the monster's suspicion returned.

"Why would she need that?" The monster looked ready to run off and tell the first monster he saw that something fishy was going on.

This time, Ryan was quicker than Alphys. Starting with a shrug, he told the monster, "Something about an experiment to check for what might have caused that power failure at the lab recently. Apparently there was some major power draw before the whole system just shut down. So she also has me checking for any damages it may have caused. You haven't noticed anything, have you?"

"Good thinking." He heard Alphys whisper.

The monster seemed to buy Ryan's story, shaking his head as an answer to the question. "No, everything's been fine up here, so I don't think whatever your problem was reached this far. But if the good doctor says she needs the data, I'm not one to argue. Haven't seen you around before, did you just start working for our royal scientist?"

"Fairly recently, yeah."

The monster leaned towards Ryan and put a hand to cover his mouth as if there were some nearby monster he did not want to hear. "Is she as weird as people say she is?" He asked in a whisper.

Ryan raised an eyebrow at the monster. "I don't know. What do people say about her?"

The fire shrugged as if reconsidering even bringing up the topic. "Oh, you know rumors and how they work. You hear some crazy stuff now and then; not that I believe any of it myself, mind. Like that she worships humans as gods, or that she's trying to find out if it's possible for a monster to become a human? Some people even say that she keeps monsters and humans both locked up in her basement, and she does all sorts of experiments on them. Crazy right? I think it comes from the fact that she never leaves that lab of hers, never gets out and talks to anyone, but what do I know?"

Ryan felt incredibly awkward about this whole thing and unsure how to respond to the monster. The headphone in his ear seemed to triple in weight and the silence from it only made it worse. "Well, I haven't seen any evidence of any of those things, so I'd say their probably not true."

"I figured as much. Welp, I think we've kept each other from our jobs long enough. It's nice meeting you…?"

"Ryan." He told the monster almost reluctantly.

"Ryan, got it." The monster pointed at himself. "The name's Heats Flamesman. And if I'm gonna be seeing any more of you around here, you better remember it." The monster stepped into the elevator Ryan had stepped off of and the doors shut as he finished his last words.

Breathing a sigh of relieve, Ryan turned in the direction the monster came from. He followed the corridor past several corners, pipes and panels sporadically poked out of the stone, but there were no branching paths. "Hey, Ryan?" Alphys spoke up almost suddenly.

"What's up?" He kept his voice low, in case there were any other monsters nearby.

"You don't actually believe any of what he said, right?"

Ryan almost laughed. "About you being weird? You're no weirder than any other monster, from my perspective."

"And the other stuff?"

Ryan stopped for a moment. "Why would I believe any of that?"

He thought he could hear Alphys laugh softly. "You'd be surprised ho… qui… mon…" Static swallowed up the doctor's words before she could finish.

"Alphys? Alphys!" The call dropped a second later. Ryan pulled his phone out of his pocket and tried again but it would not even ring. Then he noticed that the corridor had gone dark; the same unnatural darkness that his eyes refused to full adjust to that he had seen before, and he knew what was happening. A short walk brought him to a familiar sentry stand. Snow still covered its roof despite the heat and the squat skeleton slept beneath it, snoring softly.

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

**sans** pretended to be surprised as he woke, looking at Ryan through half open eye sockets. " **would you look at that, you did have time to make it to my stand after all. well since you came all this way, i might as well indulge you. whazzup?** "

Ryan barely suppressed a groan. He did not appreciate the monster making fun of him, even if he did deserve it. He let out a breath. "Listen, Sans, I owe you an apology. I should have never doubted you or your brother. He was just trying not to take sides, and it was stupid of me to assume that he should be more loyal to me over someone he's known much longer. Everything turned out for the best anyway."

The skeleton shrugged. " **i knew you'd come around eventually. all is forgiven. you were just giving in to the heat of the moment** "

"You sure? You seemed pretty angry before."

He waved it off. " **nah. it takes a lot more than that to get under my skin** " He winked.

That time Ryan did groan. "So, what exactly is going on?" Ryan tried to change the subject.

" **i'm selling hot dogs, want one?** "

"Not that."

" **i don't know what you mean** " Ryan gestured to the near solid darkness surrounding them. " **oh, look at that. the lights went off. easy enough to fix** " The monster clapped his gloved hands and the light returned. The lights did not turn back on exactly; there was just suddenly light again. Not only that, but Ryan had felt something akin to a bubble popping around him; a sudden pressure change of sorts.

They were on a square platform suspended directly over the sea of magma far below. There was a path extending out from both sides of the monster's out-of-place sentry station but the rest of the space was open air for hundreds of feet around him broken only by thick pipes that ran beneath them before curving vertically into the rock above their heads. It was also no longer as silent as it had been just a moment ago. The dull thrum of machinery should definitely have been present despite the light. However, Ryan knew he would get nowhere with the monster if he tried to press on that notion, so he let it be.

His phone rang in his pocket not long after the light came back. "Where did you go?" Alphys voice came in his ear with a hint of panic.

"Sorry, must have been another one of those weird core events. I just lost the call all of the sudden."

"But… you just vanished from my cameras a few seconds ago, and you were nowhere near where you were before…"

" **who are you talking to?** " **sans** asked, drawing Ryan's mind away from what Alphys was saying.

"Alphys." He said simply.

"Wait, who else are you talking to?" Alphys asked after.

"Sans."

"Sans? What is he doing up there?" But Ryan barely heard her.

" **how's the good doctor doing?** " The skeleton asked.

Ryan shrugged. "I don't know. I've kind of just been mooching off of her since I got out of Waterfall."

" **typical… how'd that go, by the way? you're here, that's a good sign** "

"I got away, yeah. Undyne and I did end up fighting though. Little good it did me. I would have had a better chance at punching the mountain open than beating her. Something… weird happened that let me get away from her."

Ryan saw **sans** glance to the side before the skeleton cut him short. " **well, you'll have to tell me all about it later. looks like you should get going for now** " Ryan followed the skeleton's gaze and they landed on two bulky, armored figures coming their way. " **i'll try to distract them for you. we'll meet up somewhere soon. there's something i'd like to talk to you about too** " The monster added.

Ryan nodded and started to casually walk away from the booth. He made it as far as the entrance to the far tunnel when he heard **sans** ask, " **hey, you guys wanna buy a hot dog?** " and he picked up the pace the second he was sure the shadow obscured him well enough.

"Alphys, did you see our newcomers? Any info on them?" When he was sure he had put a decent level of distance between them through the winding pipe-filled passages, he slowed down enough to not seem suspicious should he run into anyone else yet.

"I did see them." The doctor told him. "They're two members of the Guard, probably just on regular patrol, but they did seem interested when they saw you."

"Patrol? I thought you said we would be taking the back way to avoid this kind of stuff? Why am I even in an area where patrols can pass? The Guard has to know my face by now."

"First, I said we'd have to cross a few pubic areas to get to the core. Second, remember when I said you disappeared for a minute? You're way off course from where you should be."

"That's just great…" Ryan mumbled to himself. The pathway opened into cave and the floor in front of him became a grid of square platforms. Nearly all of them seeped steam out of a plethora of pipes covering them.

"Hey, you! Stop!" An unrecognized voice behind him shouted. He did not need Alphys telling him they caught up to know who it was.

"Hang on I might be able to do something about this." The doctor went on.

"No, I'll handle it. I'd rather avoid any more unnecessary complications at this point." Ryan turned to face the two suits of armor that were jogging up to him. Now that they were close, he realized they were a good foot taller than him in addition to being more than twice as broad, not that appearances counted for anything, really. He was certain he could take them both out without hurting them both seriously if it came to it. The swords dangling at their waists however…

He heard one of the monsters clear their throat before they went on. "Citizen! We've received an anonymous tip about a possible human wandering its way through Hotland." The monster sounded like he was trying very hard to sound official. Ryan almost smiled, they didn't know he was human, but the smile became a look a fear when he saw a set of tall rabbit ears sticking out of the monster's helmet. Could he…?

The monster must have seen his fright and chuckled nervously himself. "I know, scary, huh? Well, just stay chill- I mean, remain calm. We'll bring you someplace safe, okay?"

"You do not want to go where they're going to take you, trust me." Alphys said as the monster that had not said anything yet gestured for Ryan to follow as they both turned back the way they had come.

Ryan swallowed. "Sorry, but I have somewhere I really need to be. I'm sure I'll be fine on my own."

The two monsters looked at each other. "Uh, the human is, like, supposed to be super dangerous. I'm afraid our orders say we can't allow any monster to, like, wander around and stuff." Ryan took a step back. The other monster made a sort of grunt and the first monster turned to his partner. "What is it bro?" The other monster mumbled something Ryan couldn't pick up as it pointed at him. He took another step back. "The shirt he's wearing? Like, what about it?" Another mumble and the rabbit eared monster nodded slowly in understanding. "The tip did say something about a striped shirt."

_Damn._ Ryan thought, so much for avoiding a fight. And if this one monster was what he thought he was, then he could not simply knock him out either. He took another step back. "Bro, are thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" The other monster nodded. "Bummer. This is like mega embarrassing. We actually, like, totally have to kill you and stuff." They both drew their swords and took a step out to the side, trying to widen their ground. "Nothing personal, just following orders, you know?"

"I was afraid you'd say that." Ryan took another step back and he was flung into the air by a jet of steam. Leaving the two monsters stunned below him. At the top of his arch, Ryan sent out a blast of air, propelling him further. He landed on a platform somewhere in the middle of the grid. Shadow obscured the monsters and everything else around him as well. "Alphys, so I know, what's the general direction of the exit of this place?"

"Uh, relative to you? Nine o'clock. But I don't think you dissuaded them from chasing after you just yet."

"I thought as much."

"What are you planning?"

He smirked as he saw the pair of monsters jumping their way across the steam vents towards him. "Just to tire them out a bit."

Ryan waited until he was sure the monsters could see where he was before stepping onto another vent and flying off to another section of the room. He was definitely having way too much fun with these things. He landed again, back over by the entrance and he waited once more. After a minute, one of the monsters hopped back into view. Just one.

Before the question could even form in his head, Ryan felt the air stir behind him and only just managed to get a shield up before a sword swing took off his head. Ryan turned as the monster that struck at him landed on the platform with him. Turning away the sword, he let out a jet of fire at the monster's armored torso, but he took it in stride. The fire seemed to barely affect his black plate at all.

Ryan cursed silently to himself. Of course monsters patrolling Hotland would have defense against fire! The problem was he had no other magic that would not kill him or knock him off the platform to his death. There was only one other option.

Dodging another swing, Ryan broke the engagement and ran towards the steam vent, but the other monster landed on the platform behind them, cutting him off from escape. The monsters approached him slowly, shrinking the gap between them and trying to close him off from doing anything to stop them. "Come on guys, we can talk about this, right?" Ryan tried.

"Team attack." The monsters said.

The duo swung their curved swords in unison. Ryan tied off a shield into the back of the sleeves of both his forearms. They would be less effective that way, but he was probably going to need the extra mobility soon. He blocked both the incoming strikes, letting the residual shock of the impact pass over his mind as he embraced his power.

Both monsters fluidly shifted into another strike faster than Ryan thought they would. One spun to slash at him from the opposite side while the other raised his sword to cleave through his head. Ryan dodged the slash and blocked the other by grabbing the sword as it fell. He jumped, dodging another slash from the other monster while still holding the sword. He kicked himself off the monster's chest, pulling the sword from him hand as he staggered back.

With a flip, Ryan landed a short distance from both of the monsters. However they were both still between him and the steam vents. He spun the sword he had stolen so that he held it by the hilt and copied the stance of the monsters he faced. He had no idea what he was doing with the weapon, but it was better he had it than his enemy.

The sword felt lighter than he expected its three foot length to be, and a second later he found out why. The stolen sword dissolved into mist in his hands as another appeared in the monster's. Ryan stifled a groan, so much for that plan.

The rabbit eared monster charged, sword poised for a thrust. Ryan crossed his arms before him to block, but the attack was a feint and the monster spun to strike at his side. Ryan rolled to the ground to escape the attack, sliding beneath the tall monsters legs, but the other was ready for him. The monster swung at the ground and Ryan blasted away the strike before bouncing back to his feet. The rabbit monster behind him gave him no chance for recovery, another slash coming up from below. Blocking, Ryan sent out a ball of fire to hit the other monster before it could recover its footing. But it did little to throw the monster further off balance.

This was not going well, Ryan realized. The pair left him barely any openings. They knew what they were doing; they had been trained for it while Ryan's heightened reflexes and magic could only get him so far. He had to get away.

Not waiting to use the steam vent, Ryan jumped high into the air away from the monsters. He landed on another platform close enough to still see the monsters staring after him. They hesitated only a moment before following after, and so did he, making his way towards the exit.

The steam vents were set to only send you one way, and in his haste it was not easy for Ryan to guess which way the jump would take him. After only a few jumps, he landed on a platform only to have to block an incoming strike as one of the monsters landed an instant later. Ryan jumped away before the monster could do anything further, landing on another platform only to be assaulted by the other monster. In his shock, Ryan unleashed a torrent of fire at the monster; sure it would be sufficient to at least daze it long enough for him to get away.

He was surprised when the monster fell to his knees. It was not the one with the rabbit ears, Ryan noticed; perhaps they were not all fire proof as he thought. While questioned his mistake, he heard the monster mumble, "Hot."

The guardsman seemed to be struggling for breath. Ryan almost went to see if he could help when the monster shot up yelling, "I can't take it. Armor too hot!" Ryan did not wait around to see what happen next. He jumped away into the shadows as the sound of tearing leather and popping snaps followed him from the platform. He landed close enough to the monster that he could still see him and wove an illusion large enough to cover the whole platform and render him invisible.

Looking back to where he had just been, Ryan saw that the monster had torn off the armor that had encased his torso. Pale green scales covered a muscular chest and arms; it would certainly explain why he was a bit more sensitive to temperature than his friend.

Almost on cue, the other monster appeared from the shadows to land on the platform where his partner still seemed like he might fall over. "Bro, you good?" The rabbit-eared warrior asked as he sheathed his sword and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. That hand was pulled away when the monster realized his friend was half naked. Ryan could hear the reptilian monster panting from where he hid, but he nodded that he was alright.

The still-armored monster seemed suddenly very nervous. Unsure of what to do with his hands, he rubbed them together in front of him. He also refused to look at his partner. "Uh, well, yeah… that's, like, good." He then turned his head side to side as if actually looking for something. "Crap, where'd the human go?" The other monster snapped alert as well, his helmeted head went straight to wear Ryan was standing but glossed over him a second later. "We've got to find him, quick!" The two monsters jumped off in separate directions. Ryan did not move.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and ended the call to Alphys. He then sent a text to the monster simply stating 'text me when they're gone.' There was no immediate response, telling him that the monster had understood the implied _only_ text when they're gone. Tying off the illusion, he stood and listened. He could hear the occasional jets of steam in the distance, sometimes they became closer, but for the most part, the monsters stayed clear of where he hid.

After several minutes, the monsters reappeared where they had first gone off to search. "You neither?" The still-armored monster said when he saw that they were both empty handed. "Damn!" He kicked at the rock beneath his feet. "Undyne is, like, so not going to happy about this…" Ryan watched the monster's ears twitch in nervousness, once more refusing to look at his partner. "Hey, 02, what the heck happened to your armor?"

"Heat." The half-clad monster answered curtly.

The other monster nodded in understanding. "Happened again, huh? Maybe you really should get transferred to a different area. Even if that means we don't get to be partners anymore…" The monster seemed very reluctant about that last part.

The bare-chested monster seemed to pick up on that as well. "Is something wrong, 01?"

"No, it's nothing." The monster said softly enough that Ryan almost could not make it out.

"You could always transfer with me." His partner suggested.

"No, it's not that… it's…" The monster trailed off, turning away from his friend.

The other took a step forward. "01?"

The rabbit-eared monster suddenly roared in frustration. "Argh! I can't take this anymore! Not like this. Like, 02, I like… I like, like you, bro!"

It appeared to Ryan that he had helped open a can of worms that was almost ready to burst on its own. It was also going in a direction he had not expected. He had a chance to escape without being noticed, surely, but curiosity made him stay to watch the events unfold.

"The way you fight, the way you talk; I love doing team attacks with you. I love standing here with you, worrying about what sort of punishment Undyne will be sure to dish out on us later again." Through his helmet, Ryan was almost sure the monster was crying. "02… I, like, want to stay like this forever."

The other monster was silent, he barely even moved as he stared at his partner. Finally the rabbit could take the silence no more. "Uh, I mean, psyche! Gotcha, bro. Haha!" Ryan very nearly vocalized his disappointment, but managed to only shake his head in his hands. _He chickened out,_ he thought.

The other monster remained silent for another minute before, "01?"

"Y-yeah, bro?"

"Do you wanna get some ice cream?"

Ryan was certain his shock mirrored the monster's. "Sure, dude." The rabbit monster laughed away his surprise.

Ryan watched in disbelief as the guards walked away, hand in hand; their mission forgotten. Finally the text came from Alphys, 'they're gone.' Followed a moment later by, 'were you watching that?' He called the monster once more and she practically screamed in his ear as she answered. "Oh my god! That was so cute! Those two are so precious!" The doctor suddenly gasped. "Do you think Undyne knows? Do you think she should know? Should I tell her?"

"No!" Ryan said to cut the eccentric monster off. "Anything that has anything slightly to do with me should be kept from Undyne."

"But…"

"No."

The monster sighed. "You're right. There are more important things at the moment anyway."

"Precisely what I was thinking. So what's the best way for me to get back where I'm supposed to be?"

Ryan heard Alphys click away on her computer for a few moments before she answered. "There should be a lift nearby that will get you back on the path and will get you closer to the core as well."

"Lift? How far off course am I?"

"Far." There was a note of frustration in the monster's voice that told Ryan this was not first time she had dealt with the stout skeleton's shenanigans.

A few final steam vent jumps brought Ryan to the exit of the cave at last. He looked back over his shoulder with a pang of regret. Those things were too much fun. In the darkness of the tunnel Ryan let go of his power and readied himself for a wave of exhaustion that never came. Strange… Could it be he was still working off the excess Alphys gave him, or had he somehow managed to figure out what he had done near the end of his fight with Undyne.

Either way, he felt fine as of then, so there was no reason to slow down yet. A shift in the temperature told him when he had made it out of the connecting tunnel and into another cave, but it remained just as dark. In fact, in may have even gotten darker. "Alphys?" Ryan said quietly. "I know you said you don't know where all of Mettaton's 'stages' are set up, but do you happen to know if I'm near one now?"

"Um, according to my records, no. Why?"

"Well, you may need to update those records." As if on cue, light filled the cave. A spotlight was shown over Ryan, making him squint, while a camera was practically shoved in his face this time. Much to his displeasure, though, the camera seemed to be automated; nothing behind it was holding it aloft, it simply floated in the air on its own. And there were several more hanging back, ready to invade his personal space if anything were to happen to the current one. "Are you serious?" Ryan said in frustration.

The light revealed a cave with parts of the ground missing beneath him like many of the others. Metal scaffolding filled the gaps as well as filled some of the room above his head. Metal pipes wove through them, coming out of the walls, the floor and the ceiling. A backdrop of a cityscape was dropped behind him before he heard Mettaton's voice from somewhere close by.

"Oh, yes!" The robot exclaimed. Ryan found Mettaton standing in front of a desk not far from him. The monster had a camera pointed at him as well. "Good evening, beauties and gentlebeauties! This is Mettaton, reporting live from MTT news. An interesting situation has arisen above eastern Hotland. Fortunately, our correspondent is out there, reporting live. Brave correspondent, please find something newsworthy to report." He gestured to Ryan. The camera got even closer to his face, if that was possible.

Ryan looked into the camera with a blank expression then looked back to Mettaton. "You mean me?"

"Yes you. Our ten wonderful viewers are waiting for you."

Ryan let out a sigh. He looked around the room. Scattered about were various objects from a basketball to a small, white dog. He was certain every single one of them was supposed to kill him in some way, he just was not sure how.

He went over and grabbed the basketball off of the ground. "Does this work?" He asked.

"Basketball's a blast, isn't it, darling? Too bad you can't play with these balls. They're MTT brand fashion basketballs. For wearing, not playing. You can't get rich and famous like _moi_ without beautifying a few orbs."

"News enough for you?"

"Oh, it most definitely is darling, but not for the reason you think! You see, that basketball is actually a bomb!" Still in his hand, a fuse popped out of the top of the ball and began to spark. On instinct alone, Ryan threw the bomb-ball away from him. "Don't get too excited. You haven't even seen the rest of the room yet!" The news set props fell away and all of the objects that were scattered about opened in some way to reveal a bomb or dynamite or some other explosive. "It seems everything in this area is actually a bomb. That dog is a bomb. That camera is a bomb!" Ryan noticed the camera in his face also had a fuse sticking out of it and he did not hesitate to shove it away. "Brave correspondent… If you don't defuse all of these bombs…" The robot flew over to a platform in front of him. "This big bomb will blow you to smithereens in just two minutes." A metal sphere nearly twice as tall as Mettaton covered the back platform. "Then you won't be reporting live any longer. How terrible! How disturbing! Our nine viewers are going to love watching this! Good luck darling."

Ryan did nothing at first but stare at the robot floating above him in anger. He was getting tired of his ridiculousness very quickly. Alphys's voice in his ear tore him away though. "Don't worry!" She was saying. "I installed a bomb-defusing program on your phone! You can use it to defuse all of them real quick."

Ryan looked around him, briefly. Many of the "bombs" were near the edge of one platform or another. He looked back at the robot. "All you have to do is point your phone at the bombs and the program will-" Before the monster finished, Ryan caused the air around him to explode outward. The sudden wind knocked every one of the bombs, including the big one, off of the platforms. All the while continuing to stare as Mettaton floated above him. "Or you could do that…" Alphys mumbled.

"Well… That was unexpected… A bit anticlimactic, don't you think?" The robot asked from on high.

Ryan was tempted to drag Mettaton out of the air himself. "That whole thing was ridiculous, even by my standards." He told the robot. "And, frankly, I don't have time to mess around with you. So why don't you stay out of my way?"

"Afraid I can't do that beautiful. You know the saying, 'the show must go on!' And I'm sure our eight loyal viewers can't wait to tune in next time. Toodles." The robot flew out of the room through a vent in the ceiling.

"Please tell me I'm almost to this lift you mentioned." Ryan pleaded to Alphys when he was sure all of the cameras were off.

"It's… just in the next cave." With a wash of relief, he began making his way to the cave's exit. "Hey, you know, that was pretty impressive, being able to still use that much magic after fighting those two guards? You seem to be handling yourself pretty well out there. You probably don't even need me, huh?"

"Are you kidding? First off, I was only able to do all of that because you helped me out earlier. Second, I'd be completely lost up here without you. So don't go putting yourself down. I won't allow it."

The tunnel opened and Ryan found himself once more looking out into the dome over Hotland. Only this time he was high above the town. The ledge where he stood sat in a fissure in the stone of the ceiling. Looking down, he could see he was almost directly above the town now. However, the core, taller than the dome itself, rose into the rock a ways away still. Even now it still seemed to loom over him.

Ryan suddenly noticed how silent it had become. The only noise was from the workings of the core. It somehow sounded louder than it should have and it was beginning to make his head pound. And yet he could not take his eyes off of it.

"What's wrong?" Alphys asked him.

It was another second before he answered. He shook his head to try to clear it. "I don't know, I think this place is getting to me. You know, I swear the core sounds like its laughing at me…"

"It's okay. Just try not to think about it. That thing freaks me out from far away sometimes too… You know, there's a legend in the Underground that someone fell into it once."

"Alphys, if this is some kind of ghost story, it's the last thing I want to hear right now."

"Okay, I'll tell you later then."

So it was a ghost story. Ryan tore his eyes from the metal monstrosity and walked along the edge of the cliff until he made it to another tunnel. The lift was just inside. It looked just like the elevator he had ridden before. Alphys told him which button to press, and he was off a moment later.

Where Ryan exited the lift, it seemed that the rock of the mountain no longer existed. Pipes and cables covered much of the walls and ceiling and even ran along the floor in some places. Where there were not any of those or strange looking access panels or unblinking lights of every different color there was only metal behind them. "This whole thing's run by about a dozen monsters, if you can believe that." Alphys said, answering one of Ryan's unasked questions.

"Really? All of this looks complicated enough for hundreds."

"Yeah, well, twelve's about all we can spare. Any more than that and the system gets… finicky."

"Finicky?"

"I'm honestly not sure how to explain it, actually, and I'm not sure why I even brought it up now…"

As he progressed down the hall, deeper into the machinery, it went from looking brand new to old and rusted. Soon, none of it looked like it could even function. Cobwebs filled the crevices between components that looked like they had not worked for centuries. He had a bad feeling about this.

The corridor opened into a room that looked just as decrepit, if not more so. Unplugged cables hung from the ceiling, and there was more cobweb than anything else between them. And it was not empty either. A monster stood in the center of the room looking as if he did not know what to do with himself. Against one of the walls was what Ryan would describe as a bake sale stall. A spider monster stood tending it. The stall was covered with an array of pastries…

_Analyze…_ A spider monster stood tending the stall.

_Red level threat detected. Suggest immediate retreat._

_Negative. Retreat impossible._

_Calculating…_

_…_

_Suggest immediate EXTERMINATUS._

_Negative. Resources not allocated to this personnel._

_Calculating…_

_…_

_Suggest forward charge to exit threat vicinity. Analysis indicates exit on far side of room._

_Level of danger?_

_Unknown. Insufficient data for meaningful answer._

_Acknowledged. No other optimal path detected. Proceeding with suggestion._

_God speed._

Ryan willed his legs to move forward. He tried his best to not look at the figure behind the table. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the exit at the far side of the room. He knew his chances of making it out alive were slim; the monster had already seen him enter the room and the route he had to take would take him right past the table.

He had to take the risk. There was no other option. "Welcome to our parlor, dearie." A seductive voice said. "Interested in some spider pastries? All proceeds go to-"

"Sorry, don't have any money. Really need to be somewhere." The whole response came out in a rush. He still did not look at the monster and pick up his pace, now just shy of a run. After what felt like a marathon and an eternity, he made it to the next corridor. Hiding behind a large pipe, he waited until he could no longer hear his heart pounding in his ear. When he was sure no one followed him, he stepped out from the pipe, looked back one more time and continued toward the core still moving a bit faster than he had been before.

"Everything alright?" Alphys asked after he did not slow back down after a minute.

"Great, why do ask?" He said a little too quickly.

"Okay… Listen, up ahead is another one of those door puzzles, same as the one from before. I don't expect it to be closed, but if it is I just wanted to let you know what you were dealing with."

"Will there be more of those steam vent jumps?" Ryan asked, trying not to let his excitement show.

"Uh, there will be. Why do you ask?"

"No reason, and thanks for the info." The news was able to calm him down a good deal.

"Yeah, it's a lot better than getting it thirty second after you needed it, huh?"

"You're definitely getting better with this sort of thing, I will say that."

The door to the puzzle did turn out to be locked once more. Thankfully, though, the puzzles to open it were not broken this time. The large towers with the giant screens below the balconies lit up when Ryan pressed a button on the panel embedded in the railing. The puzzle was a blown up – and rather simplified – version of an old arcade shooter where he controlled the movement of boxes and had to get them out of the way so his "ship" could shoot the enemy. When he had completed both of the puzzles in the towers, he felt the ground begin to rumble and the door was open when he jumped to it again.

"Hey. This, um, doesn't have anything to do with guiding you but… uh… Hey, would you want to watch a human TV show together sometime? It's called, um, M-mew Mew Kissy Cutie." The question made Ryan pause. Alphys sounded like was forcing herself very hard to ask that question, but he wasn't sure how to answer. He knew it to be anime based on what he had heard the doctor mention of the show already, but by name alone it sounded pretty bad. Not the worst he had heard, but pretty high on the list. It sounded like one of those shows you watch when home alone that you pause and minimize if anyone happens across you. Let alone one you watch with friends. But, hey, she was trying.

"Sure. I'm sure we could do that someday."

The doctor's voice went up about four octaves. "Really?" It then went straight into sixth gear. "It's so good. It's my favorite show! It's all about this human girl named Mew Mew who has cat ears! Which humans don't have, so she's all sensitive about them. But, like, eventually she realizes her ears don't matter. That her friends like her despite her ears…" At that point words were too jumbled to make out. Ryan waited patiently and nodded where he thought appropriate. "… I think you'd really like it. We should watch it after you get through all of this."

"Sounds good."

"You sure you wouldn't be embarrassed."

"That hardly sounds like the weirdest anime I've ever watched. I mean, hell, I've seen Gurren Lagann. And that's not even one of the fan service-y ones."

"What's Gurren Lagann?"

Ryan smiled. "Alphys, you and I will have a lot to talk about one of these days."

"You mean you really do watch anime?"

"Far too much, yup."

He waited.

"Oh my god! Why didn't you say so earlier? I have so many questions for you!"

Stepping around a corner, the landscape around Ryan suddenly shifted dramatically. The metal walls and pipes and wires were gone. Instead, the walls looked to be made out of plastic, and in the dim light they seemed to be slightly purple. "I think the questions will have to wait." Ryan mumbled to the doctor.

"What is it? I don't have any cameras in there."

"I'm not really sure. I'll tell you in a minute." Forming a light over his shoulder, he looked closer at the walls. Not plastic, more like fiberglass; like spider webs thickly stacked on top of one another to form a solid wall. Spider web…

"Oh, that's not good." Ryan whispered to himself. Besides where he came in, there was only one other connecting path. The darkness of the entrance gave away nothing, but he suddenly became very reluctant to go any further.

"Alphys, if for some reason I don't make it through the next few minutes alive, there's a rabbit in Snowdin named Sallie. If you see her, tell her… tell her that I'm sorry…" Static was the only answer he received; something was interfering with the call again. He had no idea if Alphys had gotten the message or not, but he had no time to waste to try again. Swallowing nervously, he went through the doorway.

Darkness he could not seem to penetrate surrounded him once more, almost to the point where he thought **sans** was involved again. But something felt different about the air that told him it was not the skeleton this time around. The air was not still, there was something beyond his sight moving past him, a lot of somethings. He did not like this one bit.

He took a deep breath. What ever happened, magic would help him out of it. He needed to remember that. He was not helpless. _One foot in front of the other_ he thought just as he thought he heard laughter.

He spun towards the noise and was met with something hitting him in the face. It clung to his head like a net and refused to come clear when he pulled on it. After a struggle he finally managed pull most of the clingy mess off his face. His fear only grew when he saw what it was: a spider web.

Ryan let a tiny light bring itself into existence, the smallest he could manage, and his suspicions were confirmed. Ahead of him was a complex maze of webs crisscrossing over a room larger than Ryan's light made out. He saw small shadows move further into the darkness as he moved his light forward slightly. He was glad that the light only touched what it did, he had not desire to see what still hid itself in that darkness.

It was difficult, fighting the desire to simply burn the whole place down around him. But he refused to be that careless after everything he had done so far. He tried to calm himself by picturing in his mind a small flame and tried to pour all of his emotions into it; to let everything be consumed by the flame until only emptiness remained. He shook his head, realizing how stupid that sounded.

He tried his best to move around the webs without disturbing them. If he remembered correctly, spiders responded to the slightest vibrations to their webs. His heart pounded. In the white noise of his thumping pulse he thought he could hear voices whispering along with more laugher. He tried to push it from his mind, but they only became more pronounced. He was able to pick out some words. Human, spiders; the voices were not in his head, they echoed off of the shadowed walls. "I heard they hate spiders. I heard that they love to stomp on them."

He picked up the pace, unconcerned with breaking a few webs now. Getting out of there was the only thought on his mind at that point, and getting away from the voices that seemed to whisper in his ear no matter how fast he went. More and more webs caught themselves on him. He tried to go faster. "I heard that they like to tear their legs off." Panic gripped him fully now. He broke into a full sprint, making it about one step before falling to the ground. In his fear, he made the worst mistake possible and was now completely entangled in web. He struggled to move his arms but they were pinned to his side. His legs were wrapped as well. "I heard that they're awfully stingy with their money." A figure stepped out of the shadow and loomed over Ryan. It was the same spider monster he had seen before, and now that he could get a closer look at it, it only scared him more.

The monster stood staring down at Ryan's helpless form with a satisfied amusement. Its five eyes blinked out of unison. A pair of arms rested on its hips while another pair was crossed over its blood red shirt and a third met beneath the monster's head tapping fingertips together while it considered him. A spider monster in truth.

The monster laughed as Ryan was hauled off of the ground by unknown means. "You think your taste is too refined for our pastries, don't you, dearie?"

Ryan tried to respond, but his words only came out as weak scream. "I disagree with that notion." The spider went on. "I think your taste is exactly what our next batch needs." Ryan tried to struggle against his bonds again, but nothing happened. He tried to burn the webs away with magic, but nothing happened. Something was wrong, even at near death from exhaustion he had been able to use magic before, yet none came to him now. His panic rose to a level where he thought he may be going insane. The spider walked closer to him. "Don't look so blue, dearie. You should be proud. You're going to make a delicious cake." The monster came closer and brushed a hand across his face.

"Let me go!" Ryan managed to say.

The spider laughed. "Let you go? Don't be silly. Your soul is going to make every spider very happy. It's what you deserve after just passing us by dismissively so many times. I had learned humans were arrogant, but do you really think you're so far above us? We'll show you just how wrong you are."

Ryan heard a skittering through the webs tangled around his head. Turning his gaze from the monster, he saw that millions of spiders were crawling up the webs towards him. "You got it all wrong!" He tried to explain.

"Oh really? Then what is it? Are the rumors true? Is it that you hate spiders?"

"No I don't… I'm just…" He shut his eyes. The spiders almost completely covered him. "I'm afraid of spiders!"

The skittering stopped. He kept his eyes shut. After a minute. He heard the spider monster laugh once more. "Afraid of spiders?" She said. "What's to be afraid of? We're perfectly harmless, as long as you stay on our good side." The skittering resumed but sounded now like it was moving away from him. Ryan opened his eyes. The spiders were gone and the girl no longer seemed to be ten feet taller than she was. Seeming to tug some of the strands of web around her, the spider monster somehow pulled Ryan further into the air, still wrapped up as he was, and began to drag him off to somewhere else. "Come." She said, though Ryan saw little change of doing otherwise. "I'll show you there's nothing to fear."

She led him into another room just as dark and web covered as the other. In the center, however was a large, round table holding quite an expensive looking tea set. The monster dropped him into one of the seats and went to stand across the table from him. There were chairs for eight. He wondered who else frequented this place for an instant before filing it away as irrelevant. "Sorry for keeping you tied up like that. Visitors sometimes have the tendency to be a bit… rash. Allow me to introduce myself formally. My name is Muffet." She curtsied. "And you?"

"Ryan." He said simply. Anything more and his voice would have shaken worse than if he were lost in Antarctica.

Muffet seemed to notice anyway. "How about some tea? That should help calm your nerves." A kettle that matched the set on the table descended from above on a web, carried by what Ryan would have called a rather large spider just a few moments before. She took it and poor him a cup of purple tea –freeing his arms in the process – before pouring one for herself and sitting down across from him. Ryan's eyes darted to the shadows. "There's nothing out there, sweetie. Nothing you need to worry about anyway." She giggled.

From the darkness suddenly leapt a creature nearly twice as tall as Ryan who let out a startled yell. The thing was as wide as it was tall, with a mouth splitting it down its center and giant pincers to either side of it. The over-bloated spider crashed its weight down next to the table, somehow not making any of the tea set break. Its four eyes seemed to look everywhere at once. "Not now, sweetie, mama's busy." Muffet said to the monster. "Here, go play somewhere else." She threw what looked like a donut from the table back into the shadows and the giant monster followed.

Muffet turned back to Ryan. "My apologizes. He's normally very well behaved, but he gets excited around guests."

Ryan realized that he had his hand out where the monster had just been, poised in a way that should have burnt the monster to a crisp before he even knew he had done it. But nothing had happened. "My magic's gone." He said to himself in disbelief.

"Yes, it's a trait of our web, you see." The spider monster explained as she righted some of the dishes and cups. Miraculously, none of the tea had spilled either. "It makes it much easier for us to… Well, that's hardly important at the moment. Please, sit. There's nothing to worry about, I promise you."

Ryan forced himself to sit. The web had most likely saved him from making this monster very angry at him, and he should not risk anything further. He picked up the cup of tea and blew on it. "Sorry, this is not the easiest thing for me." He admitted, shifting his weight in the chair.

"You're a strange one." The spider girl said after sipping her own tea.

"Oh, I'm the least strange in a place like this, believe me." Her expression did not change, but Ryan shifted uncomfortably again. "Sorry I get a bit rude when I'm stressed." She just took a sip of her tea, not looking away from him. Ryan took a moment to try to figure out which eyes he should be looking at but decided it did not matter. "So… what are we doing again?"

Muffet placed her cup back on the table delicately. "I've never had the pleasure of meeting a human before. We don't get many down here, for reasons your probably aware of by now, and almost no one without eight legs comes to my little corner of the mountain. What brings you all this way?"

"Well, you know, I was actually trying to avoid situations pretty much exactly like this: captured by a monster, unable to defend myself. You know, human stuff. Sorry, rude again…"

The monster covered her mouth as she giggled again. "I like your sense of humor, at least. But I think you know what I meant."

"Not really, no." He stated frankly.

Muffet leaned forward over the table, placing a set of hands under her chin while another fiddled with her tea cup. "My spiders have seen you everywhere from the ruins to that pretty lizard's lab. And I know that you stayed in some of those places quite a while. So I guess, to rephrase, why are you not there, and instead are running around here?"

Ryan smiled in spite of himself. "Because I don't deserve to be happy if it means sacrificing someone else's happiness. And I can't let other people's idea of what they think I should be doing get in the way of what I should really be doing."

"And what is it _you_ think you should be doing?"

That time Ryan chuckled. "To be honest, I have no idea. I need to see the king. Once I do I'll be able to figure out everything else."

"You're not trying to get home?" The spider asked. Ryan shook his head. "You're not trying to open the barrier?"

"I could go on for a long time about why that would be a bad idea."

"Then what else is there in going to the king? Apologies for all the questions dearie, it's just once I have a puzzle I feel the need to solve it, and you're quite the complex one."

"Because there _has_ to be something else; there _has_ to be another option. Because what's the point if I can't make everyone happy?"

"There's no way to make everyone happy, dearie."

Ryan stood and slammed his hands down on the table, several pieces of the tea set fell over once more but nothing broke. He fixed Muffet in the fiercest stare he had ever given. "I refuse to believe that." He told her.

She giggled again. "I like your passion. It's enough that I might even believe you."

Ryan realized what he was doing and sat back down, slightly flushed. "Why are we doing this?" He asked her. "Why aren't you trying to capture me?" He did not mention that he was already half tied up as it was and he was glad she did not bring up that fact either.

Instead, the monster said, "Unlike most monsters, I don't care much for trying to get out of here. I'm a spider, dearie, dark enclosed spaces are where we thrive. So Asgore's plan regarding humans doesn't hold much weight for me. And frankly, I don't think it does for him very much either, not anymore. So as long as you don't hurt him, I don't really mind what you do either."

Ryan smiled, finally feeling a bit more at ease. "You know, I'm realizing something. Regardless of where I go down here, everyone seems to really care about the king."

"Of course. He's watched over us for more than a thousand years. And, as you seem to agree, he deserves happiness just like everyone else." Ryan nodded. "Looks like you've stopped shaking, dearie."

Ryan chuckled. "Maybe spiders aren't all that bad."

"I'm glad you think that."

"So, can I get the rest of this web off me now?"

They finished their tea over light talk and then Muffet showed him the way that led back to where he needed to go. "You know, there was a monster that came by just before you. And he _did_ offer me quite the reward for your capture, but I wanted to see for myself if all of those stories we hear about humans were true. Now I'm starting to think the rumors may need a little tweaking. As far as I'm concerned, I never saw you. That being said, I would not be against seeing you in the future. Perhaps with a little something to make up for the lost investment? Really, any show of appreciation would be welcome." The monster smiled in a way that told him she only half meant it as a joke.

"I'll do my best." He told her as he turned to go.

"May you find the happiness you seek, human." Muffet shouted as he rounded a corner and he smiled.

Ryan almost turned back immediately after seeing what waited for him in the next hallway. Taped to the wall of the first corner he reached was a poster of Mettaton. It told of a new play about "two star-crossed lovers kept apart by the tides of fate." It also said "coming soon" along the bottom with an arrow pointing in the direction he was headed. "Am I really doing this?" He looked down the hallway and, after a minute, found himself walking down it. "I'm really doing this."

To say that Ryan was sick of the robot and his showboating attempts to kill him would be a gross understatement. And yet, that did not stop him from entering yet another stage set up knowing full well what it was this time. Perhaps he could put a stop to something else this time.

The backdrop was painted with the silhouette of a small village. A fake moon and stars hung from wires over it. The only prop on the stage was a staircase leading up to a platform surrounded by a grey stone façade with a window at the top.

"Oh, that human!" Said a high-pitched synthetic voice. There was a half second where Ryan wondered if he was dealing with yet another robot before Mettaton poked his head out from beyond the wall. "Could it be…? My one true love?" The robot descended the stairs holding the pale blue dress he was wearing off of the ground. Ryan could feel his eye start to twitch.

Then Mettaton started singing.

_Oh my love please run away_

_Monster King forbids your stay_

"Alright that's enough!" Ryan shouted over the orchestral number that began to play over the robots song. The music cut off abruptly and Mettaton turned to face him.

"What is wrong with you kid? I was on a roll!" He was using his normal voice again. "Now we got to take it from the top. Reset positions everyone!" The sound of music rewinding played through the speakers as Mettaton started his way back up the stairs grumbling to himself.

Ryan expressed his disagreement by sending out razor sharp gusts of wind to cut down everything not already on the floor. Speakers and lights crashed to the stage, breaking boards of wood as they hit. The moon over the background split it two, and the stairs crumbled into themselves. Mettaton turned back to him once more. In an instant he was in his face. "Kid, you are really wearing on my patience." He told him in a low voice. "I'm trying to put on a show here. And your… reluctance… isn't making my life any easier."

He took a bite of a hot dog to say how much he did not care.

A change in the LEDs on the monster's face made him seem angry. "Listen, we all have our parts to play in this." He gestured around him. "And since you are so insistent on not being a good sport, we'll make this a bit more interesting." Mettaton snapped his fingers and floor fell out from beneath Ryan. The robot slipped away to be replaced by darkness.

The fall was not far enough to hurt him, but he did not exactly land on his feet. Brushing dirt off of himself, the room lit up as Mettaton himself descended from above. "Ladies and gentlemen, what do we have here? Could it be that the human that has been plaguing our peaceful Underground has been captured? You know what that means! It's time for the wheel of torture!" Mettaton clapped his hands. A giant, bright colored wheel descended behind him, complete with carnival-style flashing lights. "Now, you all know the drill, beauties, whatever dastardly thing this wheel lands on, the human will be subjected to until death!"

"That is _not_ proper television." Ryan argued.

"Don't worry, kid, our censorship department is on point." He said just to him. "Now, without further ado, let's spin this thing!" With a tug, the giant wheel spun faster than Ryan could make out the words that were on each brightly colored slice. From what he caught of his quick glance before, there were no particularly pleasant options. Several tense minutes later, the wheel began to slow down. Ryan searched for something he thought he had some chance of making it out alive. Picking his poison, he ever so subtly stopped the wheel. "Oh, heavens have mercy! The horrible colored tile maze! Each colored tile has its own sadistic function. For example, a green tile sounds a noise and then you must fight a monster. Red tiles will… Actually, wait a second. You've seen this puzzle before a few months back, didn't you? That's right. You remember all the rules, don't you?" Ryan opened his mouth. "Great! Then I won't waste your time repeating them. Oh and you'd better hurry. Because if you don't get through in thirty seconds. You'll be incinerated by these jets of fire."

A wave of heat hit his back. He did not need to turn to believe the monster. The ground rumbled. In front of him, a huge platform rolled up, the top covered in tiles of several different colors. "Well, I got myself into this."

His phone rang in his pocket. "Finally!" Alphys shouted as he answered. "I've been trying to reach you for almost half an hour! What happened? Where were you? How did you get in this mess?"

"Had to, long story, not pretty." Ryan answered in a rush as he began trying to discern a path through the tiles. The problem was he could not see the end. "I'll explain later, kind of busy at the moment."

A buzzer sounded and he was off.

His powers would not help him get through this one. Whatever magic controlled the tiles' abilities altered reality enough to make their rules absolute. Ryan had thought he could just burst through the whole thing, but a head on impact with empty air before one of the red tiles corrected that misconception. He would have to do this the long way. But what did half these tiles do? Mettaton said he had seen this before. He only vaguely remembered something similar when he first met **sans** and Papyrus, but he remembered that being a joke. This was anything but.

He was shocked, wet, smelled weird, and sliding all over the place. He did not seem to be making progress either. It was like the worst maze in the world. He had to cut back and turn around at least twice for every step forward. He could feel the flames at his back getting closer and the end of this thing was not even in sight. Another buzzer sounded and all the tiles lost their color. The platform now an array of grays, Mettaton floated in front of him again.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Looks like you're out of time." Fire sprouted up all around him boxing off his escape. But Ryan was not ready to give up yet.

"If you think a little fire is enough to kill me, you got another thing coming." With a thought, he snuffed out the flames… Or, at least he should have. The flames shrunk for a moment but then roared back to life.

"You didn't really think these flames would be affected by your silly fire magic, did you? Sorry, darling, but the flames are coming." The box he was in grew smaller. He had to shield himself against the heat. He could jump, but then he'd be an easy target; Mettaton could hit him with anything or at least knock him off the edge into the abyss. "Any moment now."

Alphys's voice was a godsend. "Watch out! I'll save you. I'm hacking into the firewall now." The doctor told him and the flames vanished. Ryan looked at the robot triumphantly.

"Oh no! How could this happen? Foiled again by the brilliant Doctor Alphys."

"That's right!" Alphys shouted loud enough that Mettaton could hear it through his phone. "Come on, Mettaton, give up already! You'll never be able to beat us, not as long as we work together. You're puzzle's over. Now go home and leave us alone!"

"Puzzle? Over? Alphys, darling, what are you talking about?" The robots over dramatic sarcasm was actually making Ryan feel nauseous. "Did you forget what the green tiles do? They make a sound, and then you have to fight a monster. Well, darling, that monster… is me!" Mettaton landed on the ground in front of him. "This is it, darling. Time to say goodbye." Ryan readied himself for anything when Alphys caught his attention again.

"Hey, I know this looks bad, but there's one last thing I installed on your phone! Press the yellow button on the home menu!" He pulled the phone out of his pocket and the screen lit up. Sure enough, there was a yellow button he had not noticed before. He pressed it.

The phone flew out of his hand and hovered in front of him. Then it started to change. Lines of yellow light extended from the phone, covering it in a way that looked like the wireframe of a 3D model. The light then expanded until the lines were a solid form and the glow faded. What was left was no longer his phone. It was a gun, he realized; a gray, sci-fi looking rifle about the length of his forearm. He grinned mischievously and snatched it out of the air. A jack in the back of it looked to be made for his headphones. He plugged them in and was greeted by Alphys's voice once more. "This should let you beat him. It fires electrical charges that should shut him down." She said. "You know how to use one of those?"

"More than you realize." His grin only grew as he trained the rifle on Mettaton.

"Hmm… Seems you two still have some tricks up your sleeves." The robot was saying. "But don't think this is going to be easy!"

The ground started to rumble. Ryan looked down as the tiles beneath his feet started to shift. They rearranged themselves all around him some moving further apart some closing together. Some groups rose to form walls that were between waist high and higher than he could see. Others fell into long trenches. Mettaton slid away from him. When the rumbling stopped, Ryan stood at the edge of a huge battlefield.

"Let's see how you handle this!" Mettaton shouted from afar. Above him, clones of the robot materialized in a way similar to how his gun had. They dropped on the side of the field closer to Mettaton and moved behind cover. They all had rifles of their own.

"This… might be more difficult than I anticipated…" Alphys said apologetically.

Ryan's smile had not faded in the slightest. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun." He said more to himself than to the doctor.

"Okay, the odds are against you, but with your magic you should-"

"Magic?" Ryan slid behind the nearest cover. He checked to see if the gun he held had any sort of cock or safety. Satisfied that it was primed and ready to fire, he peered over the edge. The clones were already shifting position. "That would be cheating." He told the doctor. "I'm doing this one all me."

"Wait, what?"

Ryan analyzed the situation in his head. He was at least five hundred feet from the nearest robot with a lot of cover in between. He had lost count of how many had appeared, at least a dozen, and they were spreading out fast to try and surround him. He'd been in this kind of situation before and knew he could not let that happen.

He had very little information on his gun, ammo capacity, fire rate, range. He stood up and scanned for a target, found one and squeezed the trigger. A beam of light shot out of the gun, single fire. There was very little recoil and the shot went all the way to the clone and well past before dissipating. Good range, but inaccurate. There were no sights along the top to assist in lining up a shot. He would have to dial in. Good thing he was used to that.

The gun was also very light and so was he. No tank strapped to his back, no ammo vest, he felt light as a feather compared to his usual loadout. That meant he had maneuverability. He may be outnumbered, but the odds were still his favor. He had the element of surprise hidden in years of experience the robot had no idea he possessed. It was evident in his choice of tactic. Spread out and surround. He was expecting him to just sit still in fear until they came to him, leading to him being overrun. But he had no intention of sitting still. "You want me to play along more?" He said to himself. "Have it your way."

He jumped over the cover and sprinted to his left, trying to reach the flank as fast as possible. He ran until he saw a laser wiz by him and dove behind the nearest wall. One shot, likely one enemy, directly in front of him. "Alphys, do I need to worry about this thing running out of juice on me?" He whispered, hoping the doctor was still there to hear him.

Thankfully, she answered. "Not really. But there is a risk of it overheating, so don't go ham with it. Ryan, are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"Super sure. Bold and stupid. Never fails." He leaned out from the wall and waited. Predictably, the familiar rectangle popped up from behind a low wall about twenty feet from him. He pulled the trigger and fired off three rounds. By the third, he was dialed in and the laser hit. The robot sparked and fell to the ground, returning to light and dissipating completely soon after.

He moved up to where the robot had been, checking corners for any hidden surprises. There weren't any. He had guessed correctly again: they had spread out enough that they were no longer anywhere near each other, effectively losing their numbers advantage.

He remembered a game he had played a couple years ago, him and two friends taking on twenty first-timers. They had made the same mistake and the same plan that worked then would work now: hold the momentum, go to them, and catch them off guard. He sprinted, cover to cover, in the direction he knew the real deal would be directing his army. He saw one pop up and took it out before it could even realize Ryan was so close. A bit further up, another popped up and he took it out just as quick. He slid behind a wall and took a moment to catch his breath.

Taking a peek, he saw another clone coming his way. He popped up and lit him up. Then a sharp pain erupted from his shoulder and he ducked back down. He had been stupid, he realized. He was up against an enemy most likely in some form of communication with each other. They had reacted to his counter assault and grouped back up. He would have to rethink his strategy.

Ryan looked himself over. His shirt looked slightly singed where he had been hit. He moved it out of the way to see the real damage. No burn, just a bruise and a bit of numbness. All in all, it had hurt little more than a normal paintball. Most importantly, he was not dead. That made this an ironman game, and if there was one thing he could handle, it was getting shot a lot without it slowing him down.

He took care of the clone that had shot him first, and then scanned for any additionals. Likely they were closing in on him, this time in twos or threes. High pain tolerance or not, if he was too numb to walk or fire his gun he was done for.

Nearby was a block ringed by a waist high wall on three sides. That seemed to be his best option. "I'm not much of a sharpshooter." He said to himself. "But it beats sitting and waiting."

Checking around him, he ran to the building, double checked it was clear, and then hoisted himself up. Peering over the top, he could see most of the field from his position, including a good twenty robots weaving their way towards him. Picking the closest target, about two hundred feet away, he opened fire.

It took eight shots to dial in. By the last round, a wave of heat hit him in the face that signified the gun reaching its limit. It looked like he would not have much more than that at once. He ducked back down before the rest spotted him. Rescanning his gun, there was only one button on the side and there was only one function it could have that he could think of. He pressed it and a number of panels opened up down the length of the gun. The heat vented, sending out a cloud of steam, and the gun closed back up.

He lifted his head up again, he picked out two targets that were close to each other; too close. It took five shots to take down the first, two for the second. He went down and dumped the heat, sprung up, rinse and repeat. The clones were starting to fire back at him now. They had stopped moving and were going to ground. There were only about half a dozen left at that point. He was preparing for another volley when he was shot at almost immediately following him sticking his head up. They had him dialed in now. There was nothing more he could do from here. He had a choice: trying his luck at sneaking away to a new position, or lure them to him; take them out all at once. He decided on the latter; bold and stupid, it always seemed to work for him.

He popped up once more and braced. He took two shots, one to the chest, and another to the shoulder again. He made sure to make a show of being hurt and went back down. In actuality, it barely fazed him. He spun around, crouching on one knee, rifle trained towards the wall with no cover, and waited.

The minutes ticked by to the sound of Ryan's heartbeat. He kept himself steady. He needed to be quick, not twitchy. He listened for the telltale sounds of moving machines, trying not to think about whether or not they took the bait. Eventually he heard a whir, then another. They were close. He waited.

A hand popped up over the lip of the wall and one of the clones pulled itself to his hiding spot. He was toast before Ryan could even see half of him. Moving quickly, he ran to the edge before the rest could scatter. The other five stood at the foot of the block. All of them were looking up at him. The body of the one who had tried to get up was just starting to dissipate. Ryan opened fire. Then there were none.

He vented the heat from the gun and watched his handy work return to the ether. He jumped down from the building and remembered he still had to be careful. The real Mettaton was still out there and he had no idea if he could summon more clones at any moment. Cover to cover, he made his way to the other side of the field.

He found Mettaton standing a clearing. He had a hand to his head like he was talking on a radio, asking for a report from his clones. He had audio only then, and still no idea where he was by the sound of things. He approached slowly, timing his steps with the robot's shouts, until the barrel of the rifle was in his side. The robot froze. "You lose." He told Mettaton.

The robot flung his arms into the air. "Oh no! You have defeated me!" He yelled over dramatically. "You were far more experienced than I thought! I must retreat!" The ground shifted again, catching Ryan off guard. Mettaton took advantage and flew off. The tiles returned to their original position with a fresh scorch mark here and there.

"You… You did it! You beat him!" Alphys yelled through his headphone. Ryan pulled it out and the gun shrunk back into his phone which he put to his ear. "You had me worried for a minute. What… What was that?"

"I may not get out much, but when I do I'm usually doing something crazy like that."

"That was amazing! It was like watching a real life anime! It was even better than I hoped! I mean… You did a great job out there."

"Hey, you gave me the gun. That was good planning. You did great to."

"What? Oh, no. I mean you were the one doing everything cool. I just wrote some silly programs for your phone… Hey this might sound strange but…" Ryan could hear Alphys take a breath, "Before I met you, I… I didn't really… I didn't really like myself very much. For a long time, I felt like a total screw up. Like I couldn't doing anything without… without letting everyone down. But helping you has made me feel a lot better about myself. So… thanks for letting me help you."

"I'm glad you feel better now. But I'm sure you're just being too hard on yourself."

"Oh, well, um, hey! We're almost to the core! It's just past MTT Resort. Come on. Let's finish this!"

Ryan looked down the path ahead of him. "Resort?"


	18. Long Elevator

MTT Resort, and the area around it, had the look of a noir city street. A brick road led up to the double doors of the front entrance which had a red carpet laid out before it. Planters filled with vine-covered bushes flanked the doors, the vines just beginning to crawl up the dark gray stone of the building itself. The hotel rose up several stories with windows evenly placed every so often. The whole thing looked a bit out of place after spending hours running through the machinery of the core's external systems.

Alphys had told Ryan, right before going off to do something, that the Resort had originally been built for the use of monsters traveling to the capital from other parts of the Underground. But since travel no longer happened as much as it used to, it was mostly used by monsters who wanted to escape the overcrowding of the city or by monsters who worked in the core, which, according to the doctor, was quite literally right behind the hotel.

The first thing that caught Ryan's eye, however, was **sans**. The skeleton was standing off to the side of the entrance, looking up at the array of blinking red lights that weaved through invisible pipes over their heads. " **hey** " He said as Ryan came near without turning to look at him. " **glad you can make it** "

"You wanted to talk about something?" Ryan asked the monster; unsure whether he should be calm or nervous.

" **how about grabbing some dinner with me first?** " **sans** suggested, finally looking up at Ryan who shrugged in answer. The skeleton gestured towards an alley next to the building. " **come on. i got another shortcut** "

Ryan let himself be led into a seemingly impenetrable darkness once more. And before he knew it, they stepped out into a large room filled with square tables all with white tablecloths over them and candles in their center. Lanterns hung at various spots along the walls. A hallway to the right led out of the room and Ryan could hear the clacking of plates and shouts pertaining to food in one way or another coming from that direction. He had never seen the restaurant before and began to wonder where exactly it was **sans** had brought him this time.

" **this'll do** " The skeleton said, sitting down at the table closest to them. Ryan did so as well. A moment later, a monster that looked like living slime crammed into a black tuxedo came over and handed them menus; it had no questions for how they had gotten in, if fact it said nothing at all. **sans** handed his menu back to the monster immediately. " **just the usual, thanks** "

Ryan handed his menu back to the monster as well. "One of everything." He told it.

" **so, what brings you all the way out here?** " The skeleton began once the waiter disappeared around a corner. " **i'd have figured, after you got away from undyne, that i'd find you with a new face hiding out in the capital, or trying to find some way to smooth everything over so you could go back to way everything was before this whole fiasco. actually, i was very sure you would have tried doing that. you seemed to grow very… attached to your life back in town** "

"I'm going to talk to Asgore." Ryan answered the monster simply. "I was told this was a shortcut."

**sans** nodded. " **i thought so. i guess that means you're almost done then, huh? you must really want whatever it is you're fighting for to make it all the way here. hey, i know the feeling, buddo. though maybe it's time to take a look at what you made along the way. you made friends, got a place to live, food to eat, and certainly no bills to pay** " The monster winked. Ryan's face stayed neutral. " **it's enough to make me wonder… is what you have to do really worth it?** "

Ryan did not answer; instead he asked "Why are you asking me this now, Sans? Back in Snowdin it seemed like you couldn't get rid of me fast enough. Every day you asked me when I'd be leaving."

The skeleton shook his head. " **kid, that's because i was waiting for the day you said you weren't. but you stayed determined. every day you told me you told me 'one more day to practice, then i'm gone,' but then one day became two days, two days became three, and that became 'once i think i'm ready.' eventually you refused to answer me at all, so i thought you were close. you had that girlfriend of yours, you had a job, and more and more it looked like you were going to stay**

" **honestly, that's what i wanted. it would have been simpler that way… but, then again, that whole thing getting messed up wasn't exactly your fault as i understand it, right? i never would have thought it'd be enough to push you back to what you were doing before, though. you know, you never did tell me what that was** "

For a moment, the monster just looked at Ryan, eyes locked with his own. Then he turned away, looking out a window that revealed nothing but bright light. " **ah, forget it. whatever it is you're doing, i'm rootin' for ya, kid** "

Ryan started to chuckle softly. "The longer I was down here, the more I wanted to stay. But I've realized that's not possible, not the way things are now. I've come to love everyone I've met down here. So I want to help make sure that every one of them can be happy."

" **and what about the one you said you had to save?** "

"Everyone." Ryan emphasized.

The waiter returned with two others, each carrying two trays apiece, and set them down on the table as well as the two tables next to them. Ryan wasted no time in digging in. Within minutes, the massive amount of food was down to almost nothing. Meanwhile **sans** had barely touched his own. " **so, you said you fought with undyne, right? how'd you survive that?** "

Ryan swallowed as he thought of what to say to the monster. "At first, I didn't think I was going to. We were evenly matched, but I got carried away and the same thing happened as when I was fighting your brother."

" **you've still been using magic the wrong way this whole time, haven't you?** "

Ryan shrugged. "I thought I figured out a way to do it safely. Besides, it's just easier for me that way."

" **interesting…** " The skeleton seemed to drift into thought a moment, but he came back as Ryan went on.

"I was sure I was dead. Not going to die, but dead. She had me backed into a corner and beat me to the point where I had blacked out. I remember thinking 'it can't end like this,' and then there was this light and suddenly I was back, surging with energy. And I was able to get away. I have no idea what happened but I'm thankful for it. You know, what ever happened to you looking out for me?"

The skeleton chuckled. " **kid, you're only alive right now BECAUSE of me** "

"Really? I haven't seen you do much of anything."

The monster looked away for another moment.

" **let me tell you a story. so i'm a sentry in snowdin forest, right? i sit out there and watch for humans. it's kind of boring. fortunately, deep in the forest there's this huge locked door. and it's perfect for practicing knock knock jokes. so one day, i'm knocking 'em out, like usual. i knock on the door and say 'knock knock.' and suddenly, from the other side, i hear a woman's voice, 'Who is there?'**

" **so, naturally, i respond, 'dishes.' 'Dishes who?' 'dishes a very bad joke.' then she just howls with laughter. like it's the best joke she's heard in a hundred years. so i keep 'em coming and she keeps laughing. she's the best audience i've ever had**

" **then, after a dozen of 'em, she knocks and says, 'knock knock.' and i say 'who's there?' she says, 'old lady.' 'old lady who?' 'Oh, I did not know you could yodel.' needless to say, this woman was extremely good. we kept telling each other jokes for hours. eventually, i had to leave. papyrus gets kind of cranky without his bedtime story. but she told me to come by again, and so i did. then i did again. and again. it's a thing now: telling bad jokes through the door… it rules**

" **one day, though, i noticed she wasn't laughing very much. i asked her what was up. then she told me something strange. 'If a human ever comes through this door, could you please, please promise something? Watch over them and protect them, will you not?' now, i hate making promises, and this woman, i don't even know her name. but… someone who sincerely likes bad jokes has an integrity you can't say no to**

" **do you get what i'm saying? that promise i made to her, you know what would have happened if she hadn't said anything? buddy…** you'd be dead where you stand." For once, **sans** 's grin was gone. He stared at Ryan as though he were an animal that had to regretfully be put down. Ryan's expression did not change. Soon, the skeleton's smile was back. " **hey, lighten up, bucko. i'm just joking with you. besides, haven't i done a good job of protecting you? i mean, look at yourself, you haven't died a single time** " Still, Ryan's face did not change. " **hey, what's that look supposed to mean? am i wrong?** "

"Wow, Sans. That's the first time you've told me anything about yourself." Ryan said finally.

The monster chuckled. " **and yet, you look like you've heard it all before already. you know, i've noticed that about you a lot. there are times when you seem like you know what comes next. i mean, really. who in their right mind would follow a skeleton into a dark tunnel that he simply calls a 'shortcut'? who would be able to get through everything you've been through, a world of strange monsters and nearly all of them trying to kill you, without accidentally making one mistake? care to explain that?** "

This time, it was Ryan that paused to look away. "Remember when we used to talk about alternate time lines, multiverse theory and stuff like that?"

" **you mean when you talked and I corrected all of your misinformation on the subject? yes** "

"Anyway, there's a theory that kind of coincides with all of that. It uses our consciousness as a possible explanation for how and where those alternate realities exist. A part of that is the idea that our minds have the ability to will certain things into being; that the more people who believe in a thing or an idea, the more real it becomes. Not in this world or this universe per se, but some different universe. And if enough people believe in it, it becomes that much stronger, strong enough to be real even in this world. This idea could be as simple as some mystical power behind a certain word, it could be a whole story… or even a video game." The skeleton's expression remained unchanged as he finished, but he would not give him the chance to do anything anyway. Ryan stood up from the table. "Thanks for the food. I'll pay you back for everything one day, probably."

" **wait** "

Ryan stopped, but he did not give the monster a chance to speak. "One day soon you'll see what I mean to do. And hopefully we'll both think I made the right choices to do it."

" **your flower** " **sans** cut in before Ryan could leave. The words made him freeze. " **have you been seeing more of it? has it talked to you too?** "

He turned and left the monster where he stood. **sans** did not follow after.

Ryan followed the hallway out of the restaurant, ready to have spent whatever amount of time it would take to get back on track, only to find himself standing in the lobby of the hotel he had been outside of just before. He looked behind him curiously; the restaurant was still there.

The lobby was similar to many he had seen over his life. The expansive room with its high ceiling was warmly lit and carried the buzz of conversations from the few monsters scattered about. A fountain in the center spilled water over its side and onto the floor, though no one seemed to notice or care that it was broken. He also registered the fact that the fountain was shaped like Mettaton. There were several other hallways that branched off the lobby, going to rooms or various other hotel amenities more than likely. Near the back, the wall was lined with elevators. One in particular had quite the crowd before it. Not surprisingly, it was the one with a big sign displaying 'New Home' above it.

Locating a likely front desk, Ryan went up to the monster standing behind it. The monster's head looked to be a giant hand, the nails on each finger painted a glossy red. A beret rested on top of two of the fingers. It was humanoid from the neck down and was wearing red-accented, black uniform the same as several other monsters running through the lobby wore. "Hi," he started. "I was wondering which way it was to the core?"

Ryan could not tell if the monster had turned to face him or not, but it did respond. "State your business."

"I'm collecting data for Doctor Alphys." He lied once more. "She wants to compare some readings to ones near her lab to see what caused a recent power outage."

The monster tapped something into a computer below the desk before saying, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid it may be a bit before I can give you access. The core is currently undergoing a reordering. It will be a little while still until it's finished and I'm able to give you access to it. In the meantime, we have rooms available if you'd like to stay."

Ryan became slightly worried. He had hoped he'd have to be there as little time as possible. "Do you really think it'll take that long?"

"Likely not, but what's the rush? Our rooms are quite comfortable."

Ryan looked around the hotel lobby once more. He found, behind the elevators, a pair of glass sliding doors that looked like they lead to another restaurant. Perhaps the skeleton would not think to follow him into there. He had some time to kill until Alphys came back anyway. Plus, he was always still hungry. "I think I'll just hang out for a bit."

The doors slid open as he approached, and Ryan immediately regretted his decision. He was met with the sight of Mettaton's blocky face wherever he looked. It was on the walls as part of the wallpaper as well as posters and paintings, it was imprinted on the tables, and it was in the tile that covered the floor. A faint, poppy music could be heard that made Ryan's skin want to crawl. It was a fast food place.

Memories of a time long gone came flooding back to Ryan's mind and to mix it with the unsightly image of the robot was almost enough to make him sick. The place was empty aside from him and a monster behind the counter on the other side of the room. The orange, feline monster had a deadened look on his face that Ryan knew all too well. "Welcome to MTT-Brand Burger Emporium." He said in a way that sounded heavily rehearsed. "Home of the Glamburger. Sparkle up your day™. How can I help you?"

Ryan walked up to the counter before addressing the monster. He glanced around more, trying to see if there was anyone else in the back, but it looked like the monster was the only one working. He currently looked to be struggling very hard to keep the half-smile he wore on his face. "This place doesn't seem very popular." He said to the monster in a tone that conveyed a certain familiarity. "Though, I can take a pretty good guess as to why."

"Sorry, I'm not allowed to talk to anyone that hasn't bought anything. It is also against my contract to make or comment on any negative criticisms regarding the MTT brand or any of its products or affiliates." The monster responded still in his heavily rehearsed tone.

Ryan leaned an arm on one of the display cases on the counter that held various show pieces from the menu over the monster's head, likely all fake if he knew any better. "Your boss here today or something?"

"My boss is always here, sir, always watching." For a moment he glanced to one of the corners behind him. Ryan turned to see a camera trained on the both of them, also shaped like Mettaton.

Ryan smiled up at the lens. "Your boss wouldn't happen to be the eccentric robot whose face is all over this place, would it?"

"Mettaton takes a personal interest in all aspects of his company. Sir, could you please stop looking at the camera?"

The camera erupted into pieces as Ryan turned back to the monster behind the counter. "What camera?" he said with a mischievous smirk.

The monster looked aghast as he followed the black shards falling to the table beneath them. "Oh, I am so fired…" He managed as he started to shake.

"Ah, I'm sure you'll be fine." Ryan dismissed as leaned over the counter.

The orange feline only shook harder. "No, you don't understand my boss. He's insane."

"I've had a few run-ins with your robot friend. I am very aware of what he's like."

"Then you know he'll make my life more of a living hell than it already is."

Ryan shrugged. "If it's that bad here, then quit."

The monster shook his head furiously. "It's not that simple."

Ryan looked off in thought before nodding his agreement. "You're right, it isn't. And it's wrong of me to make it sound like it is. I've been where you are myself, so I know that nothing anyone says will get you out of here. It has to be you. But sometimes knowing that there is, in fact, an alternative helps. So, what dream did you give up to end up here?"

"Why do you keep trying to talk to me?" He asked back nervously. The monster looked around everywhere like he expected Mettaton to be hiding around a corner. "I'll get in serious trouble if I get chummy with the customers." The monster then averted his eyes from him. Ryan waited for it. "Alright, I wanted to be an actor." The monster started. Ryan smiled and let him continue. "I joined MTT because I thought, 'hey if I work for the biggest star in the Underground, maybe I'll have a shot too!' But instead he just put me here, flipping burgers, no chance of moving up the ladder. Now I'm nineteen years old and I've already wasted my entire life."

Ryan started to laugh. "Yeah, I definitely know that feeling. Don't worry, there's hope for you yet, you'll see."

The monster let out a sigh. Out of his pocket, he pulled a cigarette and lit it with a flame that hovered over his finger. "If the barrier were to fall tomorrow and monsters were able to live on the surface I still think I'd be stuck here forever. How'd you get out of it?" The monster asked, pointing the cigarette at Ryan who snatched it from his fingers and incinerated it.

"I quit." Ryan told him. "I snapped, nearly hurt someone, and moved on; found the drive to do something else." His phone rang in his pocket at that moment, signaling that Alphys was back from whatever she had been doing and Ryan started back towards the sliding doors. "The future is limitless, my friend." He shouted over his shoulder. "And one day I'll prove that to everyone."

Back out in the lobby, Ryan placed his headphone back in his ear as he answered the doctor's call. "I'm back," she said cheerfully. "Did I miss anything?"

"Not really." He told her.

"Make it to the core yet?"

"Um…" Ryan's gaze drifted to the hand monster behind the front desk. He caught it making a gesture that seemed to mean he was good to go. "Actually, you're just in time."

A hallway out the back of the hotel led to a bridge that spanned the gap between it and the core. The bridge was a worn wood with dull metal railings. Half way down its length the wood turned to metal pipes similar to those that lined the passages before the resort. The opposite end was lit with artificial blue light from a doorway that led into the core.

The entrance was not what he expected. He had pictured in his mind a torch lit parade ground walkway stretching for miles before the sinister looking front that he had seen from afar with the strange noise that almost sounded like laugher echoing through his head as he approached the looming monstrosity of technology.

This was all similar to things he had already seen. The only real difference was the look of regular use and access. Panels full of lights, buttons, and switches were weaved in between pipes almost everywhere. A catwalk branched off to either side of him ending in ladders that went up and down to more catwalks that were connected to even more of the outside of the core by more ladders and stairs until the whole thing was swallowed up by darkness in all directions. Ryan realized that the intimidating size of the place was still there. He looked over the edge of the bridge. The wall of machinery descended as far as he could see and he was too high to see the lake of molten rock as well. The place was definitely immense.

Ryan's eyes snapped back to the other end of the bridge as a shadow fell across the light from the entrance. It vanished as soon as he turned to it, however. "How many monsters do you think I might run into in there?" he asked Alphys.

"There shouldn't be anyone in there." The doctor sounded very certain of that.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I just saw something walking around."

"What? But I thought…" he heard the monster rummaging through papers before she went on. "I mean, according to my records, there shouldn't be anyone on duty today. Why would… Never mind, we can't worry about that now. We're too close."

Ryan was inclined to agree. He was ready for this to end, and if that meant taking a risk or two, he would accept it.

Inside, it was like something strait out of a cyberpunk scene. Circuits of light ran through the floors and walls, pulsing energy to unknown destinations. The walls themselves seemed made of some pale blue metal, but none Ryan could identify. There was a constant background buzz of beeps and whirs that almost sounded melodic. The air felt stale, empty. It made him feel uneasy, though he could not say why.

"Ready?" Alphys asked through the phone. There seemed to be a measure of static that had not been there before.

"Not really." He had not felt ready for anything since first leaving Snowdin, but he was ready for this to be done.

"Well, this is it. Alright, we're looking for an elevator that will take you to the top of the core. It should be-"

"Found it." Ryan interrupted as he walked into the first room. The far wall held a set of white metal double doors with the telltale up and down buttons next to them.

The doctor was quiet for a moment. "What? N-no, it should be… Are sure it's an elevator?"

"Pretty sure." He confirmed as he went closer. He pressed the up button next to the doors and waited. He pressed the button again, still nothing. "Never mind it looks like it's broken."

"Figures… Okay, go to the right and keep heading up. We'll just have to go the long way."

"And how long is the long way?" Ryan asked as he peeked around a corner to make sure there were not any surprises.

"Every floor has an elevator like that. It's meant to give easy access to all the entrances and exits since the rest can all be rearranged. D-don't worry about that by the way. I've still got a map of the current arrangement. This should be a piece of cake. You just need to go up one floor."

"Okay. I'm heading right." The right hallway opened up into a room that was barely lit.

"I know. I got you on quite a few cameras now." Ryan ignored the fact that the doctor seemed a little too happy about that.

The walkway ended abruptly, opening into a pit of fire far beneath him. As he got closer, the heat made him turn away.

"Alright, now just keep heading up!"

"Um… Alphys?" Ryan tried leaning over the edge once more. The pit descended farther that he could guess. The red flames grew to white and then to blue further down, becoming bright enough to hide what it was, if anything, that was on fire.

"Hold on." The doctor sounded slightly worried now. Ryan heard several clicks from her keyboard as he moved away from the flames. "… That pit isn't on my map… Do I have the wrong floor?" She said softly. He was not sure he was meant to hear that. "Forget it! Let's try the left side."

The left side proved more promising; there were no pits of fire at least. But Ryan noticed that he was starting to feel… weird. The discomfort he had felt since walking into the core had only grown. He had never been one to get motion sick, but that was certainly how he would have described the feeling. The room was starting to spin.

The doctor seemed not to take notice. "Okay, you should be able to make it through here." Then, a shadow fell across him. Ryan spun to try to strike at the monster on instinct, but the looming figure caught his arm in a hand almost twice the size of his own. He extended his other hand, hoping that fire would be a better deterrent for this monster than the guards from before, but nothing happened. Not a flame, not a spark. Nothing.

"What the…?" The shadow twisted his arm, sending Ryan to the ground with a wail of pain. Another, smaller shadow stood over him now and it reached out for his head. In throwing him to the ground, the larger monster had released his arm and Ryan rolled out of the other monster's grasp. He tried to get to his feet and managed to barely struggle to his knees. He put out his hand again, hoping the first time was just a fluke, but again nothing happened. The action only made him feel more nauseous. Surprisingly, the shadows retreated.

After taking a moment to steady himself, he told the doctor, "Alphys, we may have a problem."

"I saw. I was worried something like this might happen…"

"Worried what might happen?" Ryan asked through gritted teeth as he fought back the urge to vomit while trying to stand.

"I'm sorry, I didn't tell you because I thought since you were human you'd be the exception. But it would seem to not be the case… For most monsters, performing magic in the core is nearly impossible. Something about the residual fields created by the energy conversion disrupts it. Even I don't understand why, completely. The monsters that work in the core have to be conditioned to use magic in the interference, and even then they're limited."

Ryan stared down at the light that had resumed its visible glow through his shirt. "So I'm a sitting duck for anyone in here?"

"Well, no. Any of the workers wouldn't attack you, even if they knew you were human. So, those two must be something else."

"So we're on even ground? They can't use magic and neither can I?"

"It's reasonable to assume."

Ryan tried to take a step and caught the wall before he fell. "Any advice on getting rid of the nausea?"

"If you're getting sick, you need to stop trying to use magic."

"Stop trying…?" He was not trying to use any magic, but then it hit him: he had gotten so used to holding on to his strange power that he did not realize he was still doing it. So, that was magic after all. He also had to let go of the illusion he was so used to always holding. It was… strange.

The nausea vanished, but now he only felt vulnerable. The sooner he was out of this place, the better. "Just one floor…" He said to himself.

"Just one floor." Alphys agreed.

.

"Up ahead should be the entrance to the core proper: the inner workings that can be rearranged in practically any order." Alphys was telling him. Ryan was standing before a large doorway with a symbol above it. It was not the delta rune. This symbol was a circle with a dot at its center. Four lines branched off the circle, one above and three below, and wings to either side. To Ryan it looked familiar, like it was part of another life. He dismissed it. It was not important.

There was nothing to suggest in the next room's appearance that led Ryan to believe it or anything connected to it could be rearranged. It all looked seamless. Unless the sections were simply larger than just what he could see. It was a daunting thought, as the chamber was enormous. A hallway led him to a bridge where arches of electricity blocked his path.

"Looks like you won't be able to go forward until you hit that switch on the wall. But when you do, those lasers will activate." Ryan noticed them: emitters identical to ones he had seen outside the core. "Here's the order they'll come in. Orange, orange, blue. Got it?"

"Got it." He went over to the switch and readied himself.

He hit it and the electricity winked out. He barely had any time to think before the lasers came rushing towards him. Forgetting color, he jumped the first, fell to the floor for the second and rolled out of the way of the third.

"Oh my god! Are you okay? I got the order wrong. I'm so sorry."

"I'm fine." He made sure to mention first. "I think the bigger thing though is you neglected to mention that they'd come at me like that. I thought they'd stay on the bridge." There was silence on the other end. "It's okay, Alphys. Let's just keep going."

"…Right." She said after another moment.

Ryan continued on until the path split off to both sides as well as continued forward. "Alphys, crossroad." He told her.

"Alright, let me see." There was the sound of typing before, "I think you should go right."

"Got it."

"No, wait! It's left. I'm pretty sure it's left."

"Okay…" Ryan took the path that branched off to the left. It ended after a short hallway that led to a small access room. The two monsters from before were inside, waiting for him. The light of the room resolved the shadows that hid them before and Ryan was able to see what they were now. The larger had a head like a bird and was clad in plate stylized to look like an owl. The other floated in the air next to its friend and was dressed like some sort of magician. It had no visible limbs. Its feet and hands simply floated near its body.

Ryan had only a second to take all of this in before the taller monster moved to attack. . Before he even realized he tried to shield himself on instinct, he was on the ground in pain. The monster had shoved some kind of mace into is midsection, knocking the wind out of him. He rolled onto his back as he struggled to breathe. The smaller monster stood over him again. It smiled down at Ryan ruefully and said something that sounded like pure gibberish to him as the monster reached for his head once more. Whatever the pair were trying to do to him, he could not let it happen.

Finally able to force some air back into his lungs, Ryan kicked his way from the monster's grip. He scrambled to his feet and ran. He scanned everywhere for a place to hide as the monsters chased after him. He rounded corner after corner but the walls were smooth and seamless; no nooks or carnies to vanish in. Until finally he came across an open hatch in the ceiling. A rope ladder hung down that someone must have left there. Taking a quick look to make sure they were not right behind him, he climbed the ladder then pulled it up behind him and closed the hatch, cutting off all light in the process.

Ryan put his ear to the hatch and tried to calm himself so he could hear over his pounding heart. It was not long before he heard the thump of feet on metal below him. Then he heard it stop and thought he could hear voices before the footsteps resumed, sounding further and further away. He waited another minute before sighing in relief. He tried to get the hatch open again but it did not budge. "Great." He said to himself.

"What happened? Where did you go?" Alphys chimed in a moment later. The static was getting worse.

Ryan sat up and tried to get a look at his surroundings. There was not much to see. Metal bars made a weave around his feet and above his head which he could not bring much higher than a low crouch. Beyond that was only darkness. He attempted to make a light in the hopes that whatever had blocked his magic before was gone, but a wave of dizziness told him that was not the case. "Short version? I'm lost and stuck." He told the monster. His voice seemed to echo more than it should.

"What's the long version?"

"I got jumped by those two monsters again." He began, trying to push the hatch open once more. "Which were waiting for me in a dead end, I should add. I ran, escaped through some hatch in the ceiling, and it got stuck behind me."

There was another pause before Alphys spoke again. "I'm sorry… I must have given you the wrong path again… I-I don't know what's going on. I swear I'm not doing this on purpose."

"I'm starting to think your map isn't as up to date as you think." Ryan sat back, giving up on the hatch. "It would certainly explain things."

"But that shouldn't be! I have the layout from the last reordering from two weeks ago, and it wasn't due for another until next week."

"According to one of the monsters in the resort, it was reordered just before I got there. It wasn't even done when I first got there."

"W-what?" The monster stammered. "How did… Why would…? This doesn't make any sense!"

"Well, we should focus on it later. Right now there are more pressing matters, I think."

He heard the monster take a breath "Okay. It sounds like you're in the crawl space between floors. Look around a bit. There should be another hatch that will open into the floor above, which is sort of good since we need to go there anyway." She paused for a second. "Uh, word of caution, you're outside one of the movable modules now so watch your step. It'd probably be a long fall if you were to. And – though it shouldn't, but I have very little trust in anything in there at the moment – if anything starts to move, try to lie as flat as you can."

"Understood." He turned on his phone's flashlight, and started his craw over the metal beams grumbling to himself about "magical interference fields." The small light did not do much to eliminate the gloom, but at least he'd be able to see if there was still floor in front of him.

He waved the light around as he moved. Metal beams covered the floor and ceiling above, but there was nothing connecting the two halves, as if the structure above him was floating. "Maybe this place really can move…"

He continued to crawl, making sure to avoid hitting anything on the frequent system access panels he went by, scanning the ceiling for any sign of a hatch. He began to start hearing that echoing laughter again. He knew that there must be a great deal of the core beneath him, but he did not want to think about what was below him and prayed he would find a way out before he found the edge of this floor. That was one abyss he did not want staring back.

Luckily, after a few minutes he found a red lever hanging off the ceiling the words emergency hatch scrawled on the hatch around it. Hoping it would not set off any alarms, he twisted the lever and the hatch opened with the hiss of hydraulics. He turned off his flashlight and said to Alphys, "I'm out." He kept his voice low in case anyone was still looking for him.

"What's around you? I need to figure out where you are."

Ryan chuckled to himself a moment. "You know, I'm surprised you didn't implant a tracking chip in me or something the night I was in your lab."

"T-that would be incredibly rude and invasive." By her tone, he could tell she had thought about it. "So, what's up there?"

"Right." Ryan stuck his head out of the open hatch. He looked up and down the empty hallway but there was nothing of note to report to her. "Hold on, I'm gonna try to get a better look somewhere…" He was cut off by a low rumble that made his teeth chatter. Suddenly, the edge of the hatch at his chin was moving away from him. He scrambled up into the room. Looking back down into the hatch he could see the floor he had been on continue to move. The rumbling continued. "Alphys, we may have another problem."

"What is it? Wait, don't tell me."

"The core's rearranging itself again." He confirmed.

She was silent for a good minute before, "I'm sorry, Ryan, but if the modules are moving you could be anywhere in a few moments. It's going to take some time to track you down. Until then you're on your own." The monster sounded incredibly frustrated.

"It's fine, Alphys, this isn't your fault. Wait, anywhere? What if I'm back on the same floor with the broken elevator?"

"It's a possibility, but unlikely. This whole system has a lot of floors to it. The probability is incredibly low. Either way, I'd say your best option is to just find an exit and try to get to the castle the long way through the capital."

"More delays…" Ryan mumbled.

"What was that?"

"I said, I understand, I'm gonna start looking."

Ryan wandered empty hallways for longer than he could keep track of. He kept his mind busy by trying to perform some kind of magic, anything really. But trying, only earned him a headache. It was hard not feeling helpless and exposed. He had never realized just how much he had come to rely on magic.

The hiss of a door opening broke him from his reverie. Ryan hid around a corner just as he heard voices coming from the doorway. "I'm telling you, we're getting ahead of ourselves. Those two are so wound up in here they'll jump at anything. I think setting the core to shuffle again, after it just finishing was a bit much."

Another voice answered the first. "Orders are orders, no matter how much we dislike them, ribbit."

Ryan realized he recognized the voices, and they belonged to two monsters he would have never suspected being there. "Whimsone?" he said in disbelief, turning back into the hallway. "Froggit?"

Two monsters stood down the hall from him. One was a small creature buzzing in the air on tiny wings; the other looked like an oversized frog. They both wore armor of some sort that covered their faces, but Ryan new it was them.

The monsters froze when they saw him as well. "Ryan?" Whimsone said, echoing his own disbelief. "I'll be damned… It is you!"

In a flash the monsters had knocked Ryan to the ground, trying to wrap their arms around him as best they could. Ryan wrapped his arms around his old friends in turn. They were all laughing hysterically.

"It seems fate has thrown us a loop, ribbit." Froggit said once they had all calmed down. The amphibious monster took off its helmet and smiled up at him.

Whimsone took his helmet off as well. He looked to be on the verge of tears. Even for a Whimsun, Ryan had never known either of the twins to cry. "When we got word to be on guard of a possible human, we had hoped but…" The monster's voice quivered. "We never… Where the hell have you been?" The last was a yell, and so was what followed. "You just up and disappear one day without a word, and when we try to find you… We thought you were dead!"

Ryan tried to get the monster to calm down, but it only made the small insectoid more furious. "Hold on a second. First off, what are you to doing here? How did you get out of the ruins?"

Froggit put a hand on Whimsone, who looked ready to enter another tirade. The smaller monster calmed down somewhat. "After you disappeared, we went to the queen to find out what happened." The frog monster began to explain. "When she told us you had left, we demanded we be allowed to leave as well. After a time, she let us, asking us to make sure you stayed safe, ribbit."

Ryan couldn't believe it. He was happy to see his friends again, but he could not help but wish it was under different circumstances. "Is Loox… and your brother…?" Ryan trailed off at a head shake from Whimsone.

"Loox got a place on the Council, if you can imagine that." The monster gave a buzzy chuckle. "After what he said on your behalf that day, most of the city agreed his voice would be a good addition. My bro stayed behind to keep him company." His friend looked off in remembrance, a half smile coming to his face.

"When we left, we thought word of a human would have spread like wildfire, but no one knew anything about you, ribbit." Froggit continued his story.

"Who exactly did you ask?" Ryan inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Some sentries in the forest just outside the ruins; a tall skeleton and some dogs. They all said they had never seen anyone with your description, ribbit."

"Yeah, that would explain it…" Ryan breathed.

"After that, we came up with a plan B." Froggit went on. "We decided to join the Royal Guard. We figured, if any monsters were to find out about any possible humans, it would be them." The monster gestured with both of his stubby arms. "And here we are, ribbit."

"Why did you leave, Ryan? At least tell us that." Whimsone said once it was clear Froggit had finished his story.

Ryan sighed. He had tried to avoid this. Out of all of the people he had had to lie to, he never wanted to do it to them. But the truth was dangerous, still. Experience had shown him that. "I learned a lot, in the ruins," he told them, "about this place and about monsters; a lot more than I would have liked. I realized that there was something I had to do, something only I could do. And if I stayed in the ruins and pretended like it didn't exist I would've hated myself."

Whimsone seemed to connect at least some of the dots. "Wait… you're not going to the king to…"

Ryan shook his head. "Not if I can help it. At first I thought it might be the only way, but I've since decided that isn't an option."

Froggit nodded in understanding, Whimsone a moment later. "So, where have you been then, ribbit?" Froggit asked.

Ryan sat back against the wall and told the two of them everything that had happened since he had left the ruins. He left out only the parts involving the flower and his strange dreams. He told them of how he had been studying magic, of the people he had met in Snowdin, of the accident that had made him have to leave. He told them about the fight he had with Undyne, which earned him a few shocked looks. He told them about his decision to try to talk to the king and try to come up with a solution that was best for everyone and the troubles he had gotten himself into since he had made it out of Waterfall.

The two were looking up at him with a mix of awe and disbelief by the end of it. "So, you've been busy then." Whimsone commented. "Wow…"

"I've spent the better part of the last hour trying to make my way through this place, but it hasn't been easy."

"Sorry, we probably haven't been helping with that…"

"Why?"

"We were ordered to shuffle the core this morning and again just a few minutes ago by Knight Knight and Madjick. I hate the fact that those mercenaries outrank us, but there's not much we could do…"

"I guess that's the other two I've been running into?"

"Probably." Whimsone suddenly looked over Ryan's shoulder. "Crap…"

Ryan followed his gaze to see the other two monsters in question coming towards them. He stood up, ready to fight for all he had this time, and was about to tell his friends to get behind him when they got between them instead. "Go." Whimsone told him. "Follow this hall and you should be able to get where you need to."

"Guys…"

"Don't worry. We'll hold them back. You're not the only one that's gotten stronger. Oh, and it's Whimsalot now." Ryan watched his two friends put their helmets back on their heads before Froggit took a step forward. A moment later, a torrent of water crashed through the hall towards the other monsters, knocking them off their feet. "Go!" Whimsalot told him again as a double ended spear appear in his hand.

Ryan hesitated another moment. He saw the monsters get back to their feet only to find a swarm of files coming toward them. "Thank you." He told the Whimsun.

The monster turned to help fight. "Toriel misses you." He said. "We all do. So you better come back." Ryan nodded, and he ran.

He ran past turns and corners, trying to stay on as straight a path as possible. All of the hallways looked the same. Blank, blue metal walls with some form of exposed coiling serving as molding and sporadic tubes of tricolored electricity that probably served as emergency lighting, but right now the halls were lit by what seemed to be one giant fluorescent light bulb that made up the whole ceiling.

The first thing to be different was not entirely welcome, and it made him finally have to stop. "Alphys." He called over his phone. "We've got lasers. Lots of them." It was true. The bridge ahead of him was covered head to toe with them to the point where he probably would not be able to dodge them if he tried. He told her as much. "Alphys? The monster was being strangely quiet. When he called again, he thought he heard a sniffle on the other end. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, no… It's just… you really are a very nice person."

Ryan groaned. "Not you too!"

He thought he could hear the monster chuckle. "Alright, lasers. Let me think… I can try to disable the whole system, but that would probably send the whole place into lockdown… Alright, this is what I'm going to do: I'm going to send the system through a series of refreshes. The core should just think it's some sort of system test. The problem is that the lasers will only stay off for a few seconds, so when I say stop, stop. Ready?"

"No."

"Well, tell me when you are."

"I'm lying, I'm ready."

"Then why did you…?" He thought he heard her mumble "humans" but was not sure. "Alright, deactivating in three, two, one, go!"

The lasers blinked off and Ryan sprinted across the bridge. The temptation to grab onto his power was strong, but he held off. He was not out of the woods yet.

"Stop!" Alphys shout through the speaker. He came to a halt just as the lasers came on. Blue. He held his breath, hoping he pounding heart would not be enough to set them off. Thankfully it was only a second before the lasers were off again and so was Ryan. Twice more, the process was repeated before Ryan stood on the other side of the bridge out of breath.

"I'm through." He told her.

"Wow that was a lot of lasers… Anything new?"

Ryan looked over the edge of the bridge; the blackness had become a misty white that seemed to be giving off a faint light. There were pylons sticking out of it every few feet. "Fog. Smells like ozone too."

"That good. It means you're in one of the center sections of the core. It doesn't tell me where you are exactly, but it narrows it down. Also there's an elevator directly in the center that will go where we need it to and signs that should lead you there. It means we're back on the original plan."

"Why didn't you mention that before?" Ryan questioned

"With everything that was going on, I didn't think we'd be able to make it anywhere near the center, but it looks like the shifting ended up working in our favor. Tell me when you get there."

Ryan walked on, trying to maintain in his head a sense of direction that would allow him to go primarily in one direction. There were indeed signs, but they were cryptic to the point of not being useful. He tried to feed Alphys details he thought were important. Anything that looked like it might identify which module he was in. But the static was only getting worse, it seemed.

"Hey, Alphys." Ryan asked as he walked down yet another hallway that looked like all the rest. "What's the capital like?"

She thought for a moment. "You've seen the ruins, right?"

"Yeah."

"They look a lot like that." It was all she said on the matter. He did not press the matter further.

Eventually, he came upon a doorway that had the same symbol on it he had seen before. He told that to Alphys. "You made it." She told him. "The elevator you need is right through…" Static cut the monster off before she could finish. He tried to get her back twice before he gave up.

Pulling the headphone out of his ear, he saw no point in waiting for the monster before he entered the room. He was not surprised to find Mettaton blocking his path.

"Oh yes, there you are, darling." The robot's synthetic voice dripped with anticipation. "I think it's time to have our little showdown. It's time to finally stop the 'malfunctioning' robot…" The lights on the monster's front change to make it seem like he was smiling. "Not!" The robot's laughter rang through the small room. He started to circle around Ryan. "Malfunctioning? Reprogramming? Get real. This was all just a big show. An act. Alphys has been playing you for a fool the whole time."

"I know." Ryan interrupted. The robot stopped dead.

Mettaton wheeled himself closer to Ryan, as if his face could tell him more of what he had meant by that, but Ryan's expression was unreadable. "You knew?" He asked incredulously

Ryan nodded. "I did. I know that she's been watching me since I was in Snowdin. And that she must have 'grown attached to my little adventure,' as I'm sure you were about to put it. I know her type well enough; the more she watched, the more she wanted to be a part of it. So she set up things to do just that. Reactivated puzzles, disabled elevators, the residents of the area were very unhappy about that and very forth-coming with the fact that none of the stuff was normal. So that left me with two suspects. Clearly it was supposed to look like you; Alphys's speed in being able to help me along could be explained by her deftness when it comes to technology or familiarity with the area, but what drew suspicion off yourself was that you gave up too easily.

"Even after the war game, you ran off way too fast. Plus, you seemed way too upset when I ruined your little play. I'm sure you must have been getting sick of me. But Alphys made you play her game. You owe her, I'm guessing, so you could never take a shot at me with her watching unless she said to."

The robot's arrogance was not diminished by Ryan's foreknowledge. "That's right; this was all a ploy to get you to think she was a good person that she's not. And now, it's supposed time for her finest hour. She's outside the core right now. During our 'battle' at the top of the core she would have interrupted. She would have pretended to 'deactivate' me, 'saving' you one final time. Finally, she'd be the heroine of your adventure. She thought that you'd regard her so highly that she'd even be able to convince you not to leave! But, you see, I've had enough of this predictable charade.

"I have no desire to harm humans. Far from it, in fact. My only desire is to entertain. After all, the audience deserves a good show, don't they? And what's a good show without a plot twist?"

"I have no more time for you, Mettaton. Stay out of my way." Ryan told the robot, but it was no use.

"Oh, someone's impatient, aren't they? Well too bad, sweetie. You're powerless here, don't try to hide it. You have no choice but to play by my rules this time." From behind him, Ryan heard a knock on the door. "Right on time."

"Hey! W-what's going on? The door just locked itself!" Alphys voice came from the other side.

The room lit up. Colorful spotlights swirled around the human and robot. "Sorry, folks! The old program's been canceled! But we have a finale that will drive you wild!" The floor began to rise, rocketing up higher and higher. It rose until Ryan was almost certain they must have been somewhere above the core. In fact, he was certain. "Real action! Real drama! Real bloodshed." Mettaton went on. "On our new show: Attack of the Killer Robot!"

The floor stopped they were in yet another room set up like a studio with cameras and lights set up everywhere.

"Before we begin, darling, I'd like to do a little reveal. You see, I've had this body for a while now, but I've always been sick of it. It was only ever a temp, really. For a while now, Alphys has been working on a replacement, and I think now would be a perfect time to show it off, don't you?"

Ryan watched Mettaton reach behind himself and heard a switch flip. A second later the room exploded with light. Ryan shielded his eyes as he could hear the whir of machinery through the glare. When the light faded, the boxy robot was no longer there. In its place was something that at first glance Ryan thought was human. The new body Mettaton had taken on was nearly as tall as him; black hair was stylized to hang over one eye of his metal face that was split into an excited grin. The robots body looked like a costume out of an 80s pop video, with pointed shoulders and knee-high, high-heeled boots. A small, white heart shape hung suspended in the monster's midsection. "What do you think?" Even the robots voice sounded more human now.

"Are you done talking yet?" Ryan asked. He had not moved since the robot had started his rant. Mettaton shook his head.

"Still with the impatience. The show is just starting, dearie!" Mettaton dramatically threw his arms into the air and took a step towards him. But that was all he took as the robot suddenly froze. Ryan had his arm upraised, a look of frustration plain on his face. "H-how?" The monster managed through his shock.

"Your first mistake:" Ryan told him, "never assume I am powerless." With the spread of his fingers, Mettaton flew back against the wall before falling to the ground. A gust of wind turned the stage into a ruined mess. He no longer cared who saw.

With visible difficulty, Mettaton lifted himself up. His broken machinery wailed as it tried to function properly. "Why?" He asked. Before he collapsed back to the ground. "Why are you so eager to rush to your death?"

"I've come took close to the end not to take a few risks." Ryan told the robot as he walked to stand over him.

"Do you really think you can make it past Asgore? You have no idea how strong he is. You will never be able to kill him!"

"I know." Ryan snapped his fingers. Mettaton's limbs exploded one by one. He knelt down next to the robotic torso, now giving off sparks and whirs. "I hope you can forgive me." He said as Mettaton looked up at him franticly. He waved his hand, and the monster powered down.

The floor began to lower automatically until it was once again settled in the room it had been in before. The door to the entrance flew open. "I managed to get the lock open." Alphys was saying as she burst into the room. "Are you two…?" She stopped as her eyes fell on the smoking body of Mettaton. She ran over to the robot, shoving Ryan roughly out of the way. "Oh my god, Mettaton!"

"It's alright; he's just out of power." Ryan told her, though he was not sure she heard. He himself was already looking to the exit. "Something must have been faulty with that new body. He was in the middle of one of his monologues and then, boom."

"Oh god. If you were gone Mettaton, I don't know…" The monster broke down in tears. Ryan put a comforting hand on her shoulder as he walked past. He was almost there.

In the hallway ahead, the doctor caught up to him. "S… sorry about that…" She said as she wiped her eyes.

"It's alright." He did not turn to talk to her. He barely slowed.

"So… you're still going to Asgore, h-huh?" Ryan nodded. "You must be pretty excited about all that, huh?" He kept walking. She did not say anything more. It was not until he reached an elevator at the far end that he realized she was still following him.

"Wait!" She shouted as the doors slid open. Then, to herself, "I can't take this anymore…" She swallowed and turned back to him. "Ryan, I'm sorry, I lied to you. Going and talking to the king won't work. I've tested everything I could possibly think of to try to break the barrier, but the only way to do it is with human souls."

"I know." Ryan said without turning around.

"If you keep going, either Asgore dies, or you die. There's no other option."

"I know!" Ryan shouted, making the doctor jump. He took a breath to calm himself. "I know." He said again. "I have tried everything to make things go on a different course, but no matter what, everything still led me here. I didn't want things to end this way, but as I get closer and closer I see no way of avoiding what comes next. But I will do what I must to keep my promise."

Ryan could almost feel the monster shaking behind him. "I'm sorry, but if that's how you feel, I can't help you anymore."

Ryan nodded once more. "I understand."

She turned back the way she came. "I'm sorry…" She said once more before running back down the hall way.

Ryan stood before the elevator for a long time after that. Beyond it was the castle, the end. There, the king awaited him. He realized for the second time that his goal was physically within reach. But, once more, fear kept him rooted where he stood. An unexplainable fear that told him he somehow knew for a fact he would die if took that next step. _Why? Why is this happening now?_ He forced himself to step into the elevator, but his hand froze once more as he reached out for the button. All he had to do was go up, and everything he had gone through would come to an end. He will have played his part and finally found out if it had been worth it, but he could not make himself press the button!

With a yell he pushed himself forward, and hit the button that would send the elevator back to just before the lab.

Ryan stood still as the elevator began to whir in its decent. Tears streamed down his face. He stood until the elevator finally came to a stop and the doors slid open. His hand shook as they clenched into fists.

"Damn it!" he screamed as he struck out and hit the wall of the elevator. The force of the blow was enough to make the metal of the wall buckle, prompting several alarms to go off. Ryan slid down the back wall of the lift and clutched his head in his hands.

He cried, letting his dread and his fear take him at last.


	19. Undyne

Ryan sat at the back of the narrow river boat with his head low and his knees tucked beneath his chin. His fingers cutting through the water as the boat lazily drifted through the slow-moving current, he watched his shimmering reflection stare back up at him. Had he always looked so tired? Blinking away the image, he came back to reality.

He had never seen the cloaked monster at the other end of the boat before that day, but he was thankful that he had at last. The monster's boat made getting back to Snowdin much faster and much easier than trying to navigate his way back up to the top of Waterfall.

The river monster wore its heavy cloak so that none of the monster itself was visible. It stood at the head singing softly to itself in a voice that sounded like several voices overtop one another.

They were not the only two on the boat. Papyrus stood triumphantly in front of Ryan, hands on his skeletal hips and staring ahead with one of the largest grins he'd ever seen on the monster. Ryan was happy his friend was there. It made being the presence of the boats other occupant a bit easier, especially with how the night had gone so far. In front of the skeleton sat Undyne, who looked to be as deep in thought as he himself was – and probably for the same reasons, if he had to guess. The fact that the monster had agreed to come along at all shocked him. He had seen this night going very differently, in the beginning.

...

"Oho, the human arrives! I was beginning to think you weren't coming." Ryan looked up at Papyrus and decided to leave out the fact that he almost had not.

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" He asked the skeleton instead, who nodded eagerly in response.

Ryan had been mulling over that question and several others since he began his walk back through Waterfall. What was he doing? That thought also kept pushing itself to the front of his mind. What _was_ he doing? He was in over his head was what. He knew it, but had he really just kept his head down and let momentum carry him this far? And for what? A shot in the dark? A dream? He was more likely to die in the attempt. He had almost died several times already.

And now he was on his way to the home of someone responsible for one of those attempts on his life. He must be insane.

"Are you ready to hang out with Undyne?" The skeleton asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.

Ryan gave a wry chuckle. "I don't think one can ever truly be ready for something like that."

Papyrus had met up with Ryan in the cavern where he and Undyne had fought what seemed like a lifetime ago already. His friend did not seem to notice any of the aftermaths of that battle, but Ryan certainly did: cracks in the stone of the wall and the floor, craters and debris everywhere. The scariest part was that he knew most of it had been caused by him. Not wanting to wait for Ryan to develop cold feet, Papyrus started to lead him through the tunnels and caverns to Undyne's home. Strangely enough, the monster did not say much and Ryan retreated back to his thoughts.

He felt like he truly was stuck in a rip tide. One that he'd just have to grit and bear with until it dumped him out wherever it ended and there was nothing he could do to change things. Is this really what he wanted? He looked down at his hand. The fire sprung to life over his palm with almost no thought now. It was almost impossible to believe he had so much difficulty with it in the beginning. The flame shifted from orange to blue to green to purple. He let his mind wander as he watched the tendrils dance through the air and before he knew it the flame had taken the shape of Toriel again.

The statue of fire made his heart ache. Had it really only been a few months since he had seen her? It felt like years. But it had only been months. And he had gotten so far in that time. When he had first left the ruins, he could not even form a fire without a source, and now?

"I just need to get stronger." Ryan whispered to himself.

"What was that?" Papyrus asked over his shoulder.

Ryan let Toriel's likeness vanish. "Nothing." The skeleton shrugged and kept leading them further into a part of Waterfall he was unfamiliar with.

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Ryan asked his friend once more when they arrived. Undyne's house was tucked in an out of the way corner of the cavern system, carved out of the rock to look like an angry fish.

"Of course. I have a plan to make you two great friends!"

Ryan shrugged as Papyrus began walking up to the front door. "Alright, I trust you."

Undyne had a small yard in front of her house. At the base of the cave there were racks of various weapons lined up next to each other. Resting on top of a large rug was a very familiar looking dummy. He steered clear of that. Ryan looked up at the house once more. It was uncanny how much it captured her intensity. "I'm going to keep my promise." He said to the likeness and surprised himself just how much he meant it. He realized then that he had to try, no matter what. He was done giving up half way through. Even if he had no way to change things, he would still get to the end of this. And the rest started here.

"Okay stand behind me." Papyrus told him before turning toward the door and giving it a knock. There was no immediate response, which Ryan half expected; no shouts, no explosions, nothing. "Pssst," The skeleton whispered as they waited, "Make sure to give her this." He held out what looked to Ryan like a large, bone shaped dog treat. It had a red ribbon tied around it, signifying it as some sort of present. Ryan's brain screamed against the logic, but Papyrus would know her better than him. Maybe he knew what he was doing.

He took the bone and stuffed it in his pocket just as he heard Undyne's voice from inside say, "Papyrus, I already told you I'm not in the mood for a lesson right now." The door slid open as if the fish's mouth opened. Undyne stood in the doorway unarmored, her muscular form covered by a black, full body glove. Her eye fell on Ryan instantly. "What are _you_ doing here?" She asked.

"Undyne, you remember Ryan, yes?" Papyrus told her.

"I do." The soldier confirmed. Her eye did not leave Ryan, but he could not read any emotion from her expression. He was just waiting for her to tell him to get lost, or at least try to run him through with a spear again. He thought that she would refuse to see him so much that he almost turned and left before he realized she had invited them in. "Might as well." She added under her breath before turning to go back inside.

Papyrus followed his mentor, spinning in excitement. Ryan followed his friend nervously. The inside of the house was nothing close to what he had imagined. Fish patterned wallpaper covered the walls and the same patterned tiles he had seen before in Hotland covered the floor. There was a low table big enough for several people – or for a decent sized feast for one – with a few squat stools around it. Over to the side was a grand piano, open and clearly well-maintained. Along the back wall were several kitchen appliances in between sections of countertop. It was all far from the medieval castle/dungeon he had been expecting. The only thing that fit that description was a rather large double-edged sword hanging from one wall. The weapon held an incredible amount of detail. The blade was intricately carved with vines and what looked to Ryan like hydras. The hilt had been wound in silver, and the gold of the pommel and guard were sculpted into claws gripping heart shaped gems of different colors. It was definitely more of a show piece than a practical weapon.

As Ryan took it all in, Papyrus broke the silence. "Here, Undyne. My friend brought you a gift. On their own." He elbowed Ryan and he remembered the bone. He took the present out of his pocket held it out to her.

Undyne looked at it with a mixture of disappointment and met expectations. "Uh… Thanks. I'll just… put it with the others." Undyne walked over to a drawer and threw the bone into it. Ryan could see from there the drawer was full of similar bones. Papyrus gave Ryan a thumbs up as she looked away. The trust that the skeleton knew what he was doing was beginning to erode already. "So you mind explaining what's going on?" Undyne asked as she turned back to them.

The soldier's gaze took them both in this time, but the question was addressed to the skeleton, who responded "Whoopsy doopsy! I just remembered! I have to go to the bathroom. You two have fun!" The skeleton then proceeded to jump out the window, shattering the glass as he did. As Ryan stared in disbelief, Papyrus got up, brushed himself off, and ran away.

Undyne's full attention was now on Ryan, standing in her entry way. "So why are you here?" She asked him. She still did not sound or look particularly angry, but he knew the monster well enough know that that could still change at any moment. "You here to rub your victory in my face? To humiliate me even further? Is that it?"

Ryan shook his head, trying to push down his nervousness. "I thought we could talk." He told her honestly.

"About what?"

"About why I'm here, about what I intended and still intend to do, about the future of monsters and why I think killing me is a bad idea." He was surprised by how level his voice stayed.

Undyne's brow started to furrow; a familiar light came to her eye. She did not like that answer. "What, do you think we can be friends or something?"

Ryan nodded, deciding that staying honest was still the best course of action in the situation. "If possible, yes I would like that. I'd like to think we almost were friends at one point."

The monster burst out in laughter. "Really? How delightful! I accept." Ryan's second language was sarcasm, so he knew it when he heard it. "Let's all frolic in the fields of friendship!" Undyne's laughter stopped as abruptly as it began. "Not! Why would I ever be friends with you? If you weren't my house guest, I'd beat you up right now. You're the enemy of everyone's hopes and dreams. I will never be your friend."

Ryan held out his hands as a gesture of peace. "I'm no one's enemy. I've never hurt anyone, nor have I ever planned to."

"Snowy? The forest?"

"An accident, as I'm sure he'll tell you even now."

Undyne growled. "Even if I did believe you, that doesn't change the fact that you're a human and your very existence stands in the way of our freedom."

"That's right. I'm human, you're a fish, my current best friend is a skeleton, and there's all manner of other things down here. But we all have the same emotions and speak the same language, so why not get along? The surface ain't exactly a paradise anyway, and I should know."

His words only made her angrier. The monster visible shook with the effort to not run Ryan though. Instead, she pointed towards the door. "Get out of my house."

Just then, Papyrus reappeared in the smashed window. "Dang, what a shame." He said like he was reading off a script. "I thought Undyne could be friends with you. But… I guess I overestimated her. She's just not up to the challenge." And with that, he slunk away again. Once again, Ryan felt he gave the skeleton too much credit. He saw through what he was trying to do immediately. He knew Undyne was a very competitive person, but surely something that obvious would not-

"Challenge? What challenge? Darn it, Papyrus! He thinks I can't be friends with you? I could make friends with a wimpy loser like you any day!" Perhaps it would. "Listen up, human! We're not just going to be friends. We're going to be… besties." She said that in a much more intense way than that phrase was meant to ever be said. "I'll make you like me so much you won't be able to think of anyone else!" She laughed. And just like that Ryan found himself in another one of those situations where things were moving too fast. He thought about jumping out the window as well. "It's the perfect revenge." She went on, rubbing her hands together manically. Her manner then shifted effortlessly into calm and hospitable. She gestured to one of the stools by the table. "Why don't you have a seat?"

Ryan did as he was told. He had the sneaking suspicion his head may fall off his shoulders if he refused. "Comfortable?" He nodded. "I'll get you something to drink." The smile never left her face, but Ryan couldn't tell if it was forced or not. It definitely did not touch her eye. She laid out a number of items on the counter and gestured for him to pick. There was tea, sugar, oil, and other things Ryan could not identify from where he sat. He started to get up and look as a spear flashed in front of his eyes and split the table in half. He froze, waiting for life to inevitably leave him, before he realized he was unharmed. Or, at the very least, his head was still where it should be.

"Hey! Don't get up." She ordered him. "You're the guest. Sit down and enjoy yourself." Her tone brooked no argument. But she seemed to realize that that may have been a bit over board. Her smile was back and instant later. "Just point at what you want."

Ryan held onto his knees as he sank back onto the stool. It was all he could do to stop from shaking uncontrollably. "Um… tea, please." He said meekly.

"Tea, huh? Coming right up!" She grabbed a tea pot out of a drawer, filled it with water, and put it on the stove. "It'll take a minute for the water to boil." Neither of them spoke in the intervening time, though not from lack of effort on Ryan's part. He just could not think of anything to say. His mind had clicked over to survival mode and he was beginning to forget why he was there at all. Finally the tea pot started to whistle and she poured the tea into a cup. She brought it over to him and set it down on the broken table in a place it would not fall over. Then, she sat down across from him. "Careful, it's hot." She warned.

Ryan picked up the tea and blew on it. "It's not that hot. Just drink it already!" Ryan did so, carefully. It was good. Hot, but good. He would have liked some sugar, but he was not about to ask for some. "It's pretty good, right?" Undyne asked him. "Nothing but the best for my absolutely precious friend!" That one almost sounded genuine.

Undyne picked up her own cup and stared into it instead of taking a sip. "You know, it's kinda strange you chose that tea." She said after a minute. "Golden flower tea." Ryan nearly spit back up the sip he had taken. "That's Asgore's favorite kind. Actually, now that I think about it, you kind of remind me of him. You're both total weenies!" Undyne chuckled, but only for a moment. "… Sort of." She trailed off, seeming to become absorbed in her own thoughts.

Ryan decided this would probably be the best time to get some questions answered. "I've heard from a lot of monsters that's what he's like. Is it true he's also just sort of… vanished?"

Undyne sighed, staring into her tea once again. She swirled the cup in her hand. "Asgore's been… secluding himself in the castle more and more these past couple years. And recently he just hasn't left unless someone made him." She forced a laugh. "He tries to act so much like there's nothing wrong, but the pain of everything that happened to him is becoming unbearable. I guess that's the main reason I was hunting you zealously: I thought, maybe if we can get to the surface I can see Asgore smile for real again."

"You must really like him." Ryan commented.

"I look up to him. He's been like a father to me, all these years… You know how I met him? I tried to fight him. Emphasis on tried. As the hot headed kid I was, I was trying to prove I was the strongest, but I couldn't land a single blow on him. And worse, he refused to fight back! I was so humiliated. Afterwards, he apologized and said something goofy: 'Excuse me, do you want to know how to beat me?' I said yes, and from then on, he trained me.

"One day, during practice, I finally knocked him down. I felt… bad… but he was beaming. I had never seen someone so proud to get their butt kicked. Anyway, long story short, he kept training me and now I'm the head of the Royal Guard. So now I'm the one who gets to train dorks to fight. Like, uh, Papyrus."

Ryan smirked. "And me, if things had gone differently."

The monster's smile slipped again and did not return. "I did offer you a spot, didn't I? A shame really. You had potential, kid, and I think you would have gotten along great with some of the guards."

"I already do, actually. Two of them are good friends of mine."

"What? Who?"

"Whimsalot and Froggit. I believe you have them stationed in the core."

Undyne's smile finally returned. "It would be them. I should have made that connection. The first thing they asked me was about any recent human sightings. I should have known they had something to do with you. They had more drive than any monster I had seen in a long time; almost as much as Papyrus. You just seem to get everyone on your side, don't you?"

"I seem to have that effect on people." Ryan took another sip of his tea. "A question, if you don't mind. Since we're on the topic of training, do you think I would stand a chance against Asgore, as I am now?"

"Ha! Not even close!" Undyne shouted. "You wouldn't last ten seconds against the king. You barely made it past me, and I was going easy on you… By the way, where did you go after that?"

Ryan took a breath. "I went to go see the king. Or at least I intended to…"

"You chickened out, didn't you? Ha! Better you did, or else you wouldn't be very alive right now. Heck, I bet you could barely stand toe-to-toe with some of my better trained soldiers." He knew that well enough. "Why would you have gone to him anyway? Even with your disguises, he would have known what you were immediately."

"I want to talk to him as well."

Undyne laughed once more. "There is no way in hell Asgore would listen to you! He would have killed you on the spot so we can finally be rid of this place. And to be honest with you, I'm still thinking about it myself."

"That's another question I'd like to ask you," Ryan said levelly, "why do monsters want to leave so badly?"

The monster's eye narrowed. "Do you really not know?"

"I'd like to hear your take on it."

Undyne scoffed at him. "We've been trapped here for a thousand years, trapped here by humans. Asgore's one of the last of us that was alive to have seen the surface. He told me that when we first came here, we tried to just be happy with what we had. We knew that if we tried to get out, the humans would just wipe us out for good. But then… they killed the king's son. Did you know that? And that tore it. Asgore has been collecting human souls to be able to obtain a power strong enough to beat the humans and take back the surface." The monster's anger then suddenly seemed to melt. "I used to think that was right… Hey, what's the surface like?"

The question caught Ryan somewhat off guard, he shrugged. "It's nothing to write home about. But then again, maybe I just take it for granted. To me, though, compared to the surface, this place is a paradise."

Undyne nearly choked on her own tea. "You're joking right?"

Ryan shook his head. In my entire time down here I've heard one complaint: 'It's a bit crowded.' Now, I've never been to the capital, but there must be, what, a few million monsters down here at most?" Undyne nodded. Ryan pointed at the ceiling. "There are seven _billion_ people up there. And none of them get along very well. But everyone down here seems to genuinely care about one another, they hardly fight, hardly have disputes; you don't realize how good you have it."

"You might think that, but us monsters hate being cooped up down here. And we don't deserve to be trapped."

"I agree with you, you don't, and under different circumstances I wouldn't be standing in anyone's way of trying to get out. But you better hope that Asgore really does become all powerful when you do get out otherwise you will all be dead. I hate to say it, but you wouldn't stand a chance. Human's may not have magic, but they have things that are much worse…"

Undyne seemed to take what he said to heart, realizing he would have no reason to lie about that. Finally she spoke up with a smile back on her face. "So we both agree then: humans suck."

Ryan laughed. "I guess we do have some common ground after all." They both laughed at that.

"Humans may suck, but I think their history rules. Case and point: this giant sword. Historically, humans wielded swords up to ten times their size."

Ryan took another sip of his tea. "Actually, historically the largest swords people carried with any level of practicality were about six to eight feet in length."

She looked at him confused. "But I've read books…"

After a moment, Ryan interpreted the likely meaning of that. "Were these books hand drawn?" She nodded. "I see, in that medium people tend towards hyperbole." She seemed disappointed. "I mean, eight feet is still pretty big." He added. "You had to go into battle carrying someone else's sword on your backs and stand next to the guy who had your sword because it was too big to draw off your own back." He pointed to the sword on the wall. "That's still pretty cool either way, though."

She smiled at that. "Thanks. Alphys made it for me. It took a while to get all the proportions right."

"Ah, Alphys. Did she give you the books too?"

Undyne nodded. "Have you met her?"

"I have. I was in her lab when Papyrus first called to invite me over here. By the way, should I yell at him for the window?"

The monster shook her head. "I can't believe Papyrus jumped out the widow like that. Normally he sticks the landing."

"Yeah, I figured that would be normal around here."

She suddenly seemed sullen. "You know how Papyrus wants to be part of the royal guard, right? I don't think I can ever let him join. Don't tell him I said that! He's just, well… it's not that he's weak, he's actually pretty freaking tough. It just that…"

"He's too innocent and nice." Ryan finished.

"Right? I mean, look, he was supposed to capture you and he ended up being friends with you instead. I could never send him into battle! He'd get ripped into little smiling shreds."

Ryan put his cup of tea back down on the table, taking a moment to make sure it was balanced. "I'm actually glad we touched upon that. The main reason as to why I came here was to ask if you'd be willing to train me how to fight, like you've been training Papyrus."

"Like I've been…?" The monster's puzzlement was plain. "I've been teaching Papyrus how to cook."

"You're teaching him how to cook?"

"Yeah, I have been for a while now. So, you know, maybe he can do something else with his life. Oh, you're out of tea, aren't you? I'll get you some more." She stood up to grab the tea pot but stopped half way. "Why would you want me to train you?"

"So that I can survive an encounter with Asgore long enough to get him to listen to me."

Undyne sat back down at the broken table, tea forgotten. "Why?" She asked, staring him in the eye. "To what end?"

"To try to convince him of another way in going forth. Or to set him on a different course entirely."

"What other way? What course?"

"I don't know yet." Ryan admitted. "All I know is, even with the barrier destroyed and the power of seven human souls, your odds of survival are most likely very low. If I can't convince him that monsters would be better off remaining down here I hope that I can at least help him prepare some sort of defense so I can be sure you will all be safe up there. If I can have that, I'll even give up my soul to break the barrier. But I won't let everyone I've come to love down here run blindly to their deaths."

Undyne was unsure how to respond to that. "Wow… that's… really noble of you."

"If you call me a nice person, I will take that sword off the wall and run you through with it." Ryan threatened before he could stop himself.

Thankfully, it produced a laugh from the monster. "I take it back; you're way too feisty to be like Asgore. You're more like…" Undyne trailed off, her eye going wide. Suddenly, she stood up and slammed her arms down on the shattered table. "Wait a second. Papyrus, his cooking lesson, he was supposed to have that right now! And if he's not here to have it, you'll have to have it for him!" She jumped from the table onto the counter and kicked off all of the things that had been on it. "That's right!" She shouted from the counter. "Nothing has brought Papyrus and I closer than cooking! Which means that if I give you his lesson, we'll become closer than you can ever imagine!"

Her laughter was far too maniacal for the subject matter. "Afraid? We're gonna be best friends!" She jumped off of the counter over to him and grabbed him by the collar. She then dragged him back over to the counter. "Let's start with the sauce." Undyne stomped her foot on the ground and an array of vegetables and tomatoes fell onto the counter from God only knows where. "Envision these vegetables as your greatest enemy! Now, pound them to dust with your fists!"

"Um, I think a knife would be better…"

"Nonsense, I'll show you how it's done!" With a single punch, the vegetables became a liquefied mess that covered half the counter and the wall. Not surprisingly, Undyne looked like that was not her intention. "Uh, we'll just scrape that into a bowl later."

Ryan placed his hand over the mess, and with a light breeze, the pulped vegetables rose into the air. He floated them over to a bowel on the stove. "I can be helpful sometimes."

She nodded approvingly. "Now," she slammed down on the ground again and this time a large pot and a box of pasta fell onto the oven, "we add the noodles! Homemade noodles are the best, but I just buy the store-brand in the capital. They're the cheapest. Just put them in the pot." He did. "Alright, now we stir the pasta."

"Don't we need water?"

She shoved a finger in his face and looked at him fiercely. "Who's the teacher here? You keep quiet and listen. Now, as a general rule of thumb, the more you stir, the better it is. So, stir!"

Ryan took the wooden spoon that was shoved in his face and did as he was told. "Harder!" She shouted, and he tried to stir faster. "Harder!" His arm would not move any faster. She pushed him away from the bowl. "Let me do it." A spear came down from above and stabbed the pot to near oblivion. Ryan could swear he heard a deep voice go 'overkill!' somewhere in the back of his mind.

"That's the stuff!" she laughed. "Alright, now for the final step: turn up the heat! Let the stovetop symbolize your passion! Let your hopes and dreams turn into burning fire! Don't hold anything back!" Ryan searched around for the dial for the correct burner then put it on high. "Hotter!"

"It's on the highest heat!"

"No it's not, keep turning!"

Ryan did. As he did, he saw the bottom of the pot burst into flame. It was an electric stove. "Is that good?"

"No. Hotter!"

Ryan turned the dial around all the way again. The flames grew larger. "How high does this thing go?"

"Oh let me do it!" She spun the dial until the flames engulfed the entire stove. "See that's how you-" She was cut off by a loud bang. The pot, or perhaps the whole stove, erupted in a geyser of flame that quickly filled the whole room. Acting quickly, Ryan pushed the flames away from them and put them out as best he could.

The whole room was badly singed. So were they. Undyne looked at Ryan slightly embarrassed. "Man, no wonder Papyrus sucks at cooking." She said jokingly. The two took a second to stare at the destruction they had caused. "So what's next? Scrapbooking? Friendship bracelets?" She hung her head. "Oh, who am I kidding? I really screwed up, didn't I? I can't force you to like me, Ryan. Some people just don't get along with each other. Even down here. I understand if you feel that way about me. And if we can't be friends, that's okay. Because if we're not friends…" her face lit up again. "It means I can destroy you without regret."

If Ryan hadn't been so paranoid of something going wrong this entire time, the spear Undyne suddenly swung at him would have probably lopped something off. Luckily, he was able to duck it and jump back before she could take another swing. "I've been defeated, my house is in shambles, and I even failed to befriend you. That's it; I don't care if you're my guest anymore. I don't care what you said about the surface. One final rematch! All out on both sides! It's the only way I can regain my lost pride! Now come on, hit me with all you got!"

Ryan could see she was waiting for him to make the first swing, but he had other priorities. "Or, _or_ , we could get out of here before the building collapses on us." He suggested.

Undyne seemed to finally take in the extent of the damage caused by the explosion. Ryan had been able to quell all of the open flames, but much of the walls and ceiling still smoldered and there were audible cracks of charred wood. She unsumoned her spear and nodded in agreement.

Outside the house's façade of an angry fish seemed to look more like it was in pain now. Ryan almost felt sorry for it. And as that thought formed the house suddenly burst back into flame. "I didn't do that…" Ryan mumbled.

Undyne was staring up at her burning house as well, not in anger as Ryan would have expected, but she seemed to be in deep thought once more. "Do you really think you'd be able to Asgore out of his slump?" She asked him finally.

Ryan shrugged. "That's up to you and whether or not you think you can train me to be strong enough."

After another agonizingly long moment, she nodded. "Alright, you have a deal, under the condition that if we do get to that point where you feel monsters are strong enough to survive on the surface and the barrier still stands, you will give up your soul so that we can go free."

Ryan nodded without hesitation. "You have my word. I've only ever wanted monsters to be happy. I'm surprised you agreed that quickly though. I had expected we'd have to fight at least one more time before I got you on my side."

Undyne was still for a moment, she seemed to be considering something. "You, know what?" She said. "I don't want fight you. At first, I hated your stupid saccharine shtick, but you remind me of someone I used to train with. Now I know you aren't just some wimpy loser, you're a wimpy loser with a big heart. Just like him…" The last words were not meant for Ryan's ears but he picked them up anyway. Undyne looked at her burning house once more. The flames now made it seem like the building was crying. She chuckled. "I'll make you strong enough to knock Asgore on his butt in less than a year. That'll show him.

"Listen, Ryan. If you and Asgore are fated to fight, just… promise me you won't try to hurt him, okay? Not that you probably could, but still. Knowing him, he probably doesn't want to fight at all, deep down. If you do manage to talk to him, I'm sure you can persuade him to help you. Maybe, eventually, some mean human will fall down here and I'll take their soul instead. That makes sense, right? Then we all win in a way. And if you do hurt him, I'll take the human souls myself and beat the hell out of you. That's what friends are for, right?"

Ryan chuckled. "I promise. I don't want to see anyone hurt." He paused. "Hey, Undyne, the person I remind you of that you trained with, it's not Papyrus, is it?"

"No, you're not nearly as bad. And I mean that in a nice way."

"Then who do I remind you of?"

Undyne smiled to herself. "No one you'd know. And it's a story I'd rather keep to myself."

"Fair enough. So, what now?"

The monster seemed to weigh the options. She looked around at the racks of weapons that filled the cave. "Well, we can't train here. How about we head to Snowdin? They should have the space."

"Um… maybe that's not the best idea." Ryan countered. "I didn't exactly leave there on the best note."

"Oh, right… Well, maybe we shouldn't go back there then."

"Yeah, they mostly likely don't want to see me."

"Actually," Papyrus said as he suddenly appeared in the mouth of the tunnel, "they should be just about ready for you now."

Ryan and Undyne exchanged confused looks before turning back to the skeleton and demanding to know what he was talking about.

...

The group stepped off the boat at the northern end of Snowdin Town. Papyrus and Undyne immediately went towards the town center. Ryan hesitated, standing back by the boat as his two friends went ahead. "We don't get many humans down here, you know, but we get one now and then." The hooded monster behind him said all of the sudden. "You're the first in a while, though."

Ryan was taken aback. None of them had told the monster he was human and he had donned his illusion once again in hopes to avoid further issue. The cloaked monster laughed, though it sounded more like singing, "Relax, child. I have no interest in starting any fights. I am just a simple ferry monster. You seek out a grim fate." The monster added almost as an afterthought.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I can see it on your face. You carry a heavy burden, one you carry willingly though you know it will bring you much hardship and has brought much already."

"You can tell that just by looking at me?" He tried to smile, but failed.

"I can see a great deal. Your determination is your greatest weapon, human. Do not forget that." The monster said no more. The boat pushed itself away from the shore and floated away, leaving Ryan wishing he had some way to see the future.

"Determination, huh?" He said to himself, gripping the front of his shirt over his soul. "Maybe…" He undid the illusion before entering the town. There would be no more lies here.

A crowd had formed in the town square; practically everyone in Snowdin was in attendance. At the forefront, to no surprise, was Sallie's mother: the silently agreed upon voice of the town whenever one was needed. They all wore unreadable looks accept for her, who seemed to be weighing him as she always did. Sallie herself stood off to the side. She looked like she wanted nothing more than to run to Ryan's side, but she held herself back for some reason. Papyrus and Undyne stood under the tree closer to him than to the crowd. Many seemed shocked to see the blue fish monster there. Undyne was leaning against the trunk, her head down and her eyes closed. She almost seemed asleep.

Before Ryan could speak, Sallie's mother cut him off. "A lot of us wanted to hunt you down ourselves after that night." She told him. "And rightfully so I would think. But luckily my daughter cares about you enough to help us see a level of reason. Even young Snowy says that you were not the one who hurt him, although he is not exactly happy that you lied to him. None of us are." The monster paused, turning her gaze to those under the tree. "I see that you have brought the Royal Guard back with you." The words were obviously intended to be a barb towards Undyne, though to what end Ryan was not sure. "That adds some weight to what my daughter has told us. We have agreed to hear you out, boy. So? Let's have it."

Papyrus had explained to him what he and Sallie had been up to since he left. He knew they wanted to know what he planned, but first he felt he should get something out of the way. Ryan took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I know that I'm standing between all of you and freedom…"

"There will be none of that, boy. After everything, we could hardly ask you to give up your soul. And we do not hold that against you."

"Thank you. But know that I will do anything to help you all escape this place, if that is what you wish. Though, now that the truth is known, I feel like I should say something about the surface. You will find no peace or freedom there, only death."

"My daughter has told us as much already, and we have no cause not to believe her." Sallie's mother interrupted again. "We wish to know what you plan to do about it, if anything at all."

Ryan looked to Undyne. The warrior no longer appeared to be asleep. She looked up at the crowd and sighed. "As you all know, Asgore's mood has only gotten worse over the years. As it stands right now, if he saw Ryan he would kill him on sight no matter how many of us went with him to vouch for him. I intend to make Ryan strong enough to survive such an encounter with the king in the hopes that he will listen to what Ryan has to say once he's been tired out a bit. If the king agrees to stop hunting humans, Ryan has agreed to help strengthen us to be ready for the surface."

Murmurs began to filter through the crowd, mainly over doubts of making a human even stronger than them.

"And you trust him with this?" the older rabbit asked Undyne.

"Yes." She told her.

Sallie's mother nodded. "Then I suppose that will do."

Sallie finally ran over to Ryan and threw her arms around him, almost knocking him over in the process. Ryan noticed that tears streamed down her face and he felt a pang of guilt. Sallie's expression then went from joy to cold fury in less than a second. "Don't you ever leave like that again." She told him.

Ryan felt like laughing then. "I won't." He assured her.

"Know that this does not make up for lying to us, boy." Sallie's mother added, still standing in front of the crowd.

"I am sorry about that." Ryan told all of them. "But I saw no other way. I hope one day you can forgive me."

"It is not our forgiveness you need to earn, boy." The crowd parted; at the back stood Snowy. The young monster was half turned away from him, looking at the snow.

Ryan let go of Sallie and walked through the crowd to the small drake. He crouched down in the snow. "How's the wing doing?" He asked the monster.

"Fine," Snowy said curtly.

"I'm really glad you're okay."

"I thought we were friends." The young monster looked up at Ryan, anger in his eyes more than anything, with hurt close behind.

"We are friends." He told the monster.

"Friends don't lie to each other."

"Sometimes friends have to lie to each other to spare them pain."

"Papyrus said you'd say that."

"Well, he was right. Snowy, I didn't want to lie to you, or anyone. But, think about it, if you had known from the beginning I was human, would you have wanted anything to do with me?"

"No…" The monster admitted.

"Then, it stands to reason, that if I hadn't lied we wouldn't have been friends at all."

"I guess…" The monster's mood did not seem to improve, so Ryan tried a different tactic.

"Hey Snowy? What's a Snowdin monster's favorite cereal? Frosted flakes!"

The monster chuckled. "That was a trash tier joke, man."

"Well, you're the comedian, not me."

"And how about we keep it that way?"

Ryan nodded and held out his hand. "Still friends?"

Snowy held out his wing and they shook. "Still friends." The drake assured him.

Ryan stood back up as Snowy flew onto his shoulder. The town was still gathered around him, though more of them smiled than did not now. Sallie came up to him and took his arm, her mother stepped up behind her. "One more question, boy: what do you plan to do once you've 'strengthened' us?"

Ryan looked over everyone's faces; he had been hoping to avoid this part for as long as possible. "If I think that monsters reach a point where they would be fine on their own, and by that time another way to destroy the barrier has not been found, I will give my own soul to set you free." Ryan could feel Sallie's hands tighten around his arm. Snowy was looking at him in shock. The rest of the monsters' expressions barely changed.

Sallie's mother nodded. "You've given us a lot to think about. I know I for one am eager to see what happens next." With that, the crowd began to disperse, returning to their homes. Some of them spoke low to one another in small groups. The rest were silent.

When everyone was almost gone, Sallie asked what Ryan had expected her to ask. "You weren't serious about giving yourself up, right? Don't think for one second that I will let you do that."

"It will be a long time before monsters are ready to meet the surface. They might never be. I'm almost certain another way of opening the barrier will be found by then. Or, who knows, maybe I'll be able to convince everyone it'd be better to stay down here after all." The answer seemed to satisfy both of the monsters for now.

"I'm gonna head home, I think." Snowy said as he jumped off Ryan's shoulder. "My brother's probably having a heart attack right now. See you later?"

"Definitely." Ryan told the monster. He turned back to see Undyne walking up to him.

The monster gave him an approving nod. "We start tomorrow." She told him and then shouted over him, "Papyrus! I'm taking your shed!"

"Oh, o-okay." He heard the skeleton respond.

"Wait, I-" Ryan started but the monster had already walked away from him. "Where the hell am I supposed to stay then?" He heard Sallie clear her throat behind him. He turned to see her standing behind him, tapping the ground with her foot and giving him an impatient look. "Well, I guess I can't say no to that." He smiled, but the rabbit's look did not change. She grabbed him by the shirt and practically dragged him to her home.

Her mother met them in the door way. The older rabbit monster was back to weighing him with her eyes, arms crossed over her chest. Ryan looked back at her nervously. _Might as well get this out of the way now…_ he thought. He saw no way of getting around it either. "I know you probably don't approve of me very much," he started. The rabbit raised an eyebrow. "Especially now, but-"

The monster reached out and grabbed Ryan's shirt sleeve between two fingers, cutting him off. She seemed to be inspecting it. "Did you lose the shirt I gave you?" She asked him.

Ryan looked away awkwardly. "Yeah, well… It turns out it's a little too hot in Hotland for layers." He gave the monster an awkward smile. Her weighing eyes went back to him again as she let go of her shirt.

"You will need a replacement then. In fact, you will need a replacement for everything. What you have on has seen their day and then some." The monster turned her back to them and started walking to the back of the store. "I will not have my daughter running around with someone who looks like a slob." She shouted over her shoulder before disappearing around a corner.

Ryan looked down at himself and saw what the monster was talking about. Dirt and tears covered his shirt and jeans as well as several scorch marks. He had not even noticed before then.

Sallie threw her arms around him once more. She smiled up at him. "Welcome home." She told him.

"Home…" He echoed, wondering if that were really true this time around.


	20. Determination

The fact that everything had gone over so smoothly his first night back had left Ryan in a small state of shock. He still hardly believed he was back in the frigid town at all, let alone that he was back so soon and with little more than an "I'm sorry" to get the town to forgive him and accept him. Somehow, it felt as if they had not truly forgiven him at all. But he could be sure about some of them, at least.

That first night, as Ryan lay in bed with an arm wrapped around Sallie, he stared at the ceiling as his doubts stole sleep from him. Had he made the right choice? Will any other monsters actually believe his story? But in the end, sleep finally did take him, a sleep filled with pleasant dreams. And he found himself, instead, looking forward to the future. He looked forward to waking up in Sallie's arms, he was looking forward to getting breakfast with everyone, and he was even looking forward whatever Undyne had in store for him in regards to training.

In short, he was looking forward to his first day back in Snowdin.

But he had forgotten something: the world loved to disappoint him.

Ryan awoke the next morning in the hands of Undyne and Papyrus atop the roof of Sallie's house. He had thought, at first, that it was simply the rabbit shifting next to him as morning approached, but finally the sudden chill of the air forced his eyes open. Both of the monsters were grinning down at him. His mind barely registering what was going on, he was not able to manage a single syllable of question before he was abruptly falling through the air.

Suddenly very alert and awake, he fell with a shout off of the two story building. He hit the ground face first and the world went dark for a moment until he could regain control over his limbs and pull himself out of the snow.

"First lesson," Undyne shouted down to him as he shook snow from his hair. "What did you learn?"

"That you two are insane?" Ryan shouted up at them angrily. The smiles on their faces only grew as the monsters above him exchanged looks.

"Wrong! Never let your guard down." The monster lectured from on high. "The fact that we were able to drag you all the way up here before you even woke up proves that your guard was very down." She jumped off the roof herself and landed right in front of him, kicking up more snow that hit him in the face. "On your feet soldier, the day's just getting started!"

Ryan didn't know what time it was, but if he had to guess he would have said early. "I haven't even had breakfast yet!" He protested.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Undyne mocked. "While you're at it, why don't I get you the paper? Oh, and give you a foot rub too." The monster grabbed him by the shirt. Her voice became colder than the snow. "You asked me to train you. That means doing what I say when I say it. No whining, no protests, or I'll throw you to Asgore myself, got it?"

Ryan nodded slowly, unsure just how honest the monster was being. Undyne let go of his shirt as Papyrus came back out the front door. "Can I at least make sure Sallie knows I'm not disappearing on her again?" Ryan asked the two.

"Taken care of!" Papyrus told him, stepping up to them. "I left her a note explaining everything!"

"Thanks Paps," Undyne cut in before Ryan could question the definition of 'everything'. "You're free for today. I think I'll be able to handle him on my own for now." For a moment, the other monster looked ready to protest, but ultimately the skeleton nodded sullenly at the dismissal. He waved to them as he returned to his home, looking back more than once to see if they had changed their minds about his inclusion.

Ryan turned back to Undyne once Papyrus was out of sight. "Can I just check to make sure what he wrote-" he started, but she was already dragging him away from the house.

"Enough stalling," she told him. "It's time to get started!"

The monster dragged him, literally, to the base of the forest directly beneath Snowdin Town and led him to the very edge of the dome before letting him go. "Five laps." The monster said, placing a hand on the stone.

It took a minute for Ryan to register that she was talking to him. "Five laps of what?" He asked back.

"Five laps around the woods." She clarified. "That will be your warm up run. It shouldn't take you much more than an hour, I think."

Ryan looked at the soldier doubtingly. "The woods? As in, all of them?" The monster nodded without turning to him. He did some mental math based off of the numbers he remembered on Toriel's maps. "Seriously? That's has be, like, twenty five miles!"

"About" was her response. "It should be easy for someone of your strength, I'd think."

"Undyne, I really don't think-"

The monster was in his face in the time it took to blink. She stared down at him with a tightly controlled anger in her eye. "I don't care what you think." She told him. "What did I tell you not ten minutes ago?"

"Not to question you." Ryan recited, dropping his head.

"Exactly. Now, I'll give you the courtesy of telling you why." Undyne stepped away from him. She started to stretch before going on. "I've trained many monsters over the years, and one of my jobs has always been to know what my soldiers are capable of more than they themselves do. Now, I've seen you fight; I know what you're capable of. I'll set the pace. Don't you dare fall behind, or I'll add another lap to it." Without another word, Undyne was off running, and Ryan made sure to stay close.

Ryan made it through half of the first lap before he began to rely on his power. The monster set a fast pace in the beginning, faster than anything he had run at distances not even close to half what she had set for them. And it only got faster as they went on. By the last lap, they were at an all-out sprint, which, for them, meant they were flying through the trees more so than running.

When they finished back where they had started, the monster was barely even breathing heavy. Ryan did not betray any exhaustion either, but he knew that if he were to let go of his power, he would have most likely collapsed instantly.

After taking another moment to stretch, the monster gestured for him to follow once more. Ryan was worried if this went on for too much longer, he many not even live to see his second day of training. Did Undyne really think him capable of this?

Eventually, Ryan recognized where they were. They were headed towards where Snowy almost got killed due to his stupidity; they were headed to the part of the forest he had burned down. "Why here?" he asked, looking at the blackened trunks that became more frequent as they went on.

"A safety measure." She told him. "Can't destroy what's already been destroyed, can you?" Almost arbitrarily, the monster stopped and looked between the trees around her. "Second warm up: make a clearing." She reached out and tapped a knuckle against one of the charred remnants of a tree, more a stump now than anything. "Get rid of as many of these as you find," she told him, "Until we have a space big enough to train in. You can use magic or just tear them up yourself." She swung at the tree again, this time as a full-force punch, and the trunk tore itself from the snow to fall on its side with a crack. "Whichever you prefer."

The section of the forest that Ryan had damaged had been bigger than he would have guessed and certainly would have liked. They spent the rest of the morning clearing out the dead trees and ash covered snow. Undyne would simply knock them over in a single punch as she had the first. Ryan used air to cut most of the tree free and then pulled the stumps from the ground himself. He was starting to wish he had something to eat. In the end, they had a stack of trees almost the size of a house, and a clearing a good two acres in size. They smoothed out the remaining snow within it so that it did not look "unsightly," according to the monster.

Undyne looked over the space and nodded. The clearing was relatively flat, all of the holes from the trees had been filled in, and the snow was not very thick. "This will do." She said absently.

At that point, Ryan was breathing hard even through his power. If the monster was the least bit tired, Ryan could not tell. But he knew he did not have much left in himself. Perhaps there would be a break soon where he could get some food in him.

There would be no such luck.

The two stood away from each other in the center of the clearing a few minutes later. Undyne held out her hand and a spear materialized in it. "So we're just getting right to it then?" Ryan asked.

"You seem to have a pretty good handle on what you can do." The monster complimented, though the way she said it made it sound like anything but. "Besides, the best way to learn how to fight is to fight. No fancy forms or 'secret techniques' ever work outside exercises. So, yes, we're getting right to it."

She lunged at him before she was even finished speaking. She crossed the distance between them in less than a second. Ryan threw up a shield in front of him. It solidified at the last moment and the spear struck harmlessly off of the invisible barrier. He stepped back on instinct just as a spear flew past him to land where he had just been. It had come from his left. Another came from the right and he blocked that one with another shield.

By the time he turned his attention back to the monster, she was already past his block and swinging at him again. Ryan grabbed the spear just past its head. He sent a jet of flame at the monster, but she let go of her weapon and jumped back. The spear dematerialized as she landed on the ground and another formed in her hand. "That's not going to work twice!" She shouted.

Ryan's vision was already beginning to blur, this was not good. "Wait," he tried, but the monster was shouting over him as she charged once more. Ryan was forced to throw up another shield, but it wasn't strong enough. The shield shattered audibly, though there were no shards that could be seen. The monster continued to fly at him, but there was nothing he could do.

Undyne saw that something was wrong after that. She pulled up short, recalling her spear and coming to a stop just before Ryan. He collapsed to his knees a moment later. Undyne caught him before he could fall any further than that. She fished a bar of something out of her pocket and handed it to Ryan who ate it greedily.

"What happened?" She asked as Ryan wolfed down the food. "I'd have figured you'd put up a better fight than that."

When Ryan was done, and certain he was no longer light headed, he stood back up. "Are you kidding me?" He shouted. "I'm surprised I made it this long!"

"But you were fine a second ago."

"That's just how it works," he explained. "Whatever power I'm able to tap into, it desensitizes me so I don't know how tired I am until I have nothing left."

The monster looked at him questioningly and then seemed to nod in understanding. "That didn't stop you the last time we fought. You bounced back from that in a second. Or did you think I didn't notice?"

Ryan shook his head. He crashed back onto the snow before going on, still too tired to do much else. "That was… something different." He paused, wondering whether he should go on, then decided there was no harm in it. "Undyne, when we fought, there was a moment when I was sure you killed me. I was dead and then the next moment I wasn't. I was back on my feet and I have no idea how I did it."

The monster stared down at him for a moment, as if testing to see if he were holding something back, Ryan could not help but squirm under that gaze. She made him feel like he was lying even though he knew he was not. After a moment, Undyne began pacing back and forth in the clearing. She seemed to be trying to piece the puzzle together herself. "Do you remember anything else?" She asked. "How it felt, what you were thinking, anything?"

Ryan closed his eyes and tried to think. "I felt exhausted. I had overstepped my limits in magic and almost completely drained myself of energy."

"Hold on. How did you manage that?" Undyne interrupted as she froze in her pacing. "With the strength of your soul you should be able to magic almost indefinitely."

Ryan chuckled. "I've always used magic sort of… wrong." He admitted. "If I don't take the energy for a spell directly from me, it's slow, it's weaker. I've never been able to control anything very far away from me either, and could never make anything much further than I could reach with my hand."

Surprisingly, the monster nodded. She even laughed. "Asgore told me humans used magic differently, though he never really explained it; said it was irrelevant. Guess he was wrong on that too." Undyne trailed off, staring in the direction of Snowdin; or, more accurately, the tunnel out of Snowdin. Then her attention snapped back to him. "The fight, continue." She told him.

"I was exhausted," Ryan went on. "I remember thinking to myself 'This can't be the end. I can't die yet.' But I couldn't go on, there was nothing left. I needed more power. And then suddenly I had it. For a moment, it felt like all of the energy in the world was flowing into me."

Undyne had resumed her pacing in the shallow snow. She shrugged as she walked past him. "So you absorbed energy externally, so what? Monster's do that constantly."

"Yeah, but I don't. That was the first time I had been able to do something like that that I could remember."

The monster stopped in front of him, hands planted on her hips. "Then it's clear that we need to get you to do it again."

Ryan looked up at her, puzzled. "Why?"

"Because, for monsters, that ability is simply how we go about our daily lives. But for you it's something completely different. If something like that could bring you from zero to one hundred in an instant, I can't think of a better asset to have in a fight."

"Yeah, but the last time I was only able to hold on for a few seconds and I immediately went back to feeling exhausted when I lost it."

She shrugged. "We'll deal with that once we get it. First, we have to tease that little ability out of you."

"How so?" That was the wrong question to ask, it seemed. A spear suddenly sliced past Ryan's ear. He fell back as the weapon embedded itself in the ground. "What the-" Another spear came hurtling towards him and he rolled out of the way and onto his feet. Thankfully, he did not waiver at all.

The monster was on him a moment later, spear thrusting for his heart. The attack collided with a shield that Ryan expanded to surround the monster. He tied it off and let out a breath. His heart was racing from adrenaline. "What is wrong with you?" He shouted at the monster.

Undyne, trapped in his spell, seemed oddly calm. She made no attempt at trying to break free. "Alphys may believe in all of that science experiment mumbo jumbo, but my way is faster." She told him. "We already know the way you were able to do it, so all we have to do is recreate that."

"You almost killed me last time!" Ryan protested.

"So? How is this any different than normal then?"

"That doesn't mean I agree to it!"

"Oh!" Undyne exclaimed, looking like she just remembered something. "I should probably tell you: these shields you like to use so much? They don't stop people from using magic outside of them."

In a flash, spears filled the air around him, all pointed towards where he stood. Ryan threw up a shield just as they began to fly towards him. It wasn't fast enough, more than a few managed to slip though before it could solidify. Ryan torched those that did to oblivion with the hottest fire he could manage. He was able to spare himself from the worst of the damage from his own spell by directing it outwards, but he still felt like he had been badly sunburned when the flames died out.

He dropped the shield a second later, the fire having burned most of the oxygen inside of it. Ryan heard the shield around Undyne shatter soon after. The monster did not give him a moment's rest. She really was trying to kill him.

He let his power take him. As his senses sharpened, the monster seemed to slow down. He sidestepped Undyne's stab and spun to strike her in the back as she flew past him. But, another spear materialized just before his fist. The impact was like punching the weapon mounted to a brick wall. The magically wrought metal shattered with the impact, but absorbed all of his momentum as well.

Ryan cursed himself. He needed to put an end to this madness, and fast. He was certain he would be perfectly fine without whatever strange ability took him that one time. Why was the monster suddenly so hell bent on probing it out of him?

The soldier stepped and pivoted, bringing her weapon around to slice at his side. Ryan readied to block, but the monster pulled back the attack at the last instant. Spears Ryan had not seen the monster summon behind her flew at him. He dodged, but that was also a feint. The flat of Undyne's spear hammered into his temple a moment later, spinning him off of his feet and into the snow.

Ryan's ears rang, his vision blurred. He tried to stand up, but his brain no longer knew which way was up. He felt the monster grab him and pull him to her so their eyes would meet. He heard the monster scoff before she tossed him in the air. He hit the ground like a rag doll, his limp limbs no longer wanting to listen to him.

Ryan felt powerless beneath his delirium. As a human, he was supposedly far stronger than monsters by nature, and yet this monster had bested him twice without seeming to break a sweat. How could that be?

"Come on human! Where's all of that power you had before? Where'd that look in your eye go that said nothing in the world would ever be able to stop you? I haven't seen that look once since that day. It was the reason I decided to train you in the first place. I always thought that only those who know why they're fighting should fight, but you don't look like you know anymore, do you?"

She was right, he realized. His head had been filled with nothing but doubt for days and every time he had thought he had come to a decision, even more doubts came to him. Several times already, he had thought he had managed to recommit himself, but now he saw that they had never sunk in. And that had only lead to more and more problems stacking on top of each other.

And now? Now he had a whole town who was counting on him to help them in some way, and a monster waiting to see if what he told her was lie after all. She probably thought he was dead, and the rest of the Underground would probably prefer that notion. And yet… He may not believe in and know what he was doing, but others that did in spite of that. Undyne, Sallie, Papyrus, they all believed in him. They wanted to help him reach his goals whatever they may be.

Perhaps it was time he started believing in himself as well.

Ryan tried once more to struggle to his feet. He had lost hold of his power, but he grabbed onto it again and held it in an iron grip. His head throbbed, but he pushed it aside. Eventually his arms and legs stopped shaking and he was able to stand once more. It was time to stop focusing on the 'what ifs', he would follow this quest to the end.

Wherever that end may be.

"When he fought, you told me you refused to die." Undyne said to him. She was marching up to him slowly, spear held at the ready behind her back. "Not 'I can't die', not 'I won't die', but 'I refuse to die.' Do you understand the difference? Now, tell me, is it still true?"

Ryan held the monster's gaze. His power pushed the fatigue he felt to the back of his mind, but a part of him still knew he was almost running on empty. Still, he said, without doubt and without hesitation. "Yes."

The monster smiled. "Prove it."

Time froze. Undyne had leaned forward to begin her charge. Light seemed to make the air sparkle around him like ice crystals suspended in nothing. Ryan breathed in; the sound seemed to echo off of walls that did not exist. He could feel it again: the massive pool of energy just beyond his reach. This time, he recognized it for what it was. The tingle of energy he had grown so used to feeling all of the time felt amplified a thousand fold. He reached through his power and grabbed at that energy, pulling it towards him. This time it came without struggle. It threatened to overwhelm him, but still he held on, bent it to his bidding. This time he would not let it slip away.

Time resumed. Undyne rocketed forward. Ryan did not move to dodge, he did not move at all. The monster did not pull back, she kept coming. At the last second, Ryan reached up and grabbed the spear and inch from his eye. He looked down its length at the monster. Energy poured off of him like a red mist.

The monster's smile widened. "You did it."

Ryan nodded in confirmation. "Yup."

Undyne let her spear dissipate. "Now that's the look I remember." She told him. "So, how'd you do it?"

Ryan smiled himself. "I stayed determined."

The monster nodded like she understood, be he doubted she did, truly at least. "Think you could do it again?"

"Probably." Ryan let go all of the excess energy welled up inside him. Keeping only what he knew he could hold naturally. The rest left him in a shockwave that would have knocked all but Undyne off their feet; the red mist around him faded.

Undyne nodded. "Then I guess we can be done for the day. But first, what did you learn?"

"That you're insane." Ryan said matter-of-factly. A stir in the air told him another of Undyne's spears had materialized behind him, but he was at full strength now. Blades of wind sliced the weapon to bits before it got even close to him. He didn't even turn to look.

Undyne's frown told him he had passed her little test, much to her dismay. "Never let your guard down." She enforced anyway. "Second, just because you're human doesn't mean you have the advantage. Experience trumps talent every time. And third, magic is influenced by thought _and_ emotion, emotion more so. Unlike most other methods of fighting, keeping a cool head can actually be detrimental to you. Strong feelings such as love or hate can make a spell much stronger than one done without. And it can do much more besides."

Ryan nodded and the monster mirrored the gesture. "Alright, go back to your girlfriend." She told him, waving him off. "You've given me a lot to think about. Be ready tomorrow, and don't make me have to wake you up this time." He hardly wanted that again.

Undyne stayed behind while Ryan walked back to town. She told him she wanted to check up on some of the sentries. As he thought back on the day's events, he could not help but worry about what would happen tomorrow, but there was no point in dwelling on it. He would get through it. All he had to do was stay determined.

 

"Do you mind explaining this?" Sallie asked Ryan upon walking into the upper floor of their now shared house. The rabbit held out a piece of paper to him. It was folded over and there was no writing on the outside. "I wake up this morning and find you gone and this on the nightstand. You're lucky I didn't tear up half the forest looking for you."

Ryan took the paper before saying anything. He unfolded it and read the blocky handwriting of the note.

_Greetings Sally,_

_This is Ryan, and not Papyrus writing this pretending to be Ryan. Know that I will be out training with Undyne by the time you will be reading this. I am training with Undyne because I do not yet feel like I am ready to go up against The Great and Powerful Papyrus once again even though I am sure my best friend would enjoy being help to me in my training and would want to be included in the group and probably feels left out by not even being asked to help beyond just getting me out of bed this morning._

_Anyway! I will likely be gone most of the day. Do not worry. Undyne is a great teacher. I should be fine and in no danger of losing any body parts. That being said, if I do return with any body parts missing, do not worry for it will not be life threatening. That being said, if I do not return at all, then the injuries I received were life threatening. But do not worry! It was most likely all part of my plan! Me, as in Ryan. Not Papyrus, who isn't writing this note._

Ryan's brow lowered more and more as he read the note. At the bottom was Papyrus's name scribbled out and his own name next to it. He looked up at Sallie who was still waiting for an explanation. "You at least don't believe I actually wrote this, right?" He asked her.

The monster smirked mockingly. "Funny." She said.

Ryan threw up his arms in defense. "Hey, I did not approve of anything that went on this morning. Undyne threw me off the roof and dragged me away before I could say anything to you."

"Thrown off the roof? Who would let her do that?" Sallie's mother, who was behind the counter across the room from them, coughed as she went about her cooking. Sallie shot her a look that went ignored. "What about the rest of it?"

"Papyrus was exaggerating." He reassured her.

The rabbit nodded and looked a bit relieved. "Good, because the note made it sound like she was trying to kill you still." Ryan was not able to hide his expression fast enough. "She wasn't…"

"Well…"

"Are you kidding me?" The monster looked ready to kill him herself. Her long ears twitched in a way that made it so Ryan could not help but smile.

"Calm down, Sallie. It was for my own good, in the end anyway."

The rabbit blinked. "For you own…? Ryan!"

"What?"

"Are you insane?"

"I'm starting to believe that, yes."

The monster started pacing back and forth in frustration. Her mother seemed to be pretending they did not exist, humming to herself a tune Ryan did not recognize. "I will not have you running around recklessly endangering yourself like that!" Sallie shouted. "I'll tie you to a chair if I have to, damn it."

"I don't think you can do that." Ryan told her.

"And why not?" Sallie blinked and Ryan was no longer there.

"Reasons." Ryan whispered in her ear as he suddenly appeared behind her. She spun to punch the smug look she was sure he wore off of his face, but he was already on the other side of the room standing in the doorway to her own. "Well, do you want to know what happened or not?" He questioned, gesturing with his head.

Sallie grumbled to herself for a moment, thoughts of ways to get back at him forming her mind. Maybe she should chuck him off a roof herself. "You better not leave anything out!" She told him. "And I'll know if you're lying."

 

That night, Ryan lay awake in bed once more as Sallie softly breathed next to him in her sleep. Though, it was not doubt that kept him awake that time. A different thought had kept coming back to him that evening, and it was time to follow through on it. Once he was certain he would not rouse the monster, he ever so quietly got up and went downstairs. He waited by the door for any signs of moment above before stepping out and shutting the door behind him as gently as he could.

The night was empty in the town as Ryan made his way out of it. He walked down the street unhurried, no longer caring if anyone heard or saw him at that point. And when he found himself at the edge of the town, he stared out at the forest beneath. The fact that something like that could exist down there still took his breath away. But it was not the forest he was interested in that night.

Instead of taking the path down to the bridge below, he stepped from the cliff and let gravity take him. He closed his eyes and reveled in the feeling of weightlessness as the wind rose up to meet him. Not for the first time, he wished that he had wings that he could stretch out to catch the wind so he could soar over the forest. But, even with magic he had not figured out how to do that yet. So, as he neared the ground, he wove the wind to catch him. At the same time he took hold of his power, both old and new, and spun himself to land on his feet.

He was on the ground for only a split second before he bounded off over the trees with enough force to carry him almost to the other end of the dome. He felt amazing. He thought he had felt invincible before, but now… He looked back over his shoulder at where he had jumped. A crater was all that remained of the area around it. He could not help but smile. Perhaps a little control would prove necessary.

When he hit the ground, he leapt once more, with a great deal less power behind it that time and he landed at the other end of the dome. The sealed doors to the ruins loomed over him. He reached out and pressed a hand to the door. It seemed to resist his very presence as he came closer. He reached out with magic next, but the weaves could not hold form as they neared the doors. Ryan almost laughed. He could hit the doors with enough force to most likely bring the mountain down around them, but it would not open these doors.

Whatever spell Toriel had put on them was much more akin to the barrier than she cared to admit. He took his phone out of his pocket and for the first time realized just how late it was. If he had any hope of being able to wake up before Undyne, then he could not waste any more time with the impossible. Unable to help himself, though, he dialed Toriel's number. Like every time before, there was no answer. He sighed.

He leaned his back against the rock next to the doors and stared at his phone. The picture he had taken for the monster's number stared back at him. Toriel was cooking dinner for them. The sleeves of her robes were rolled up past her elbows and she turned to look over her shoulder and smile at him. There was a pain in her eyes he had not noticed at the time, a pain he had caused, a pain he could not unsee.

She must have known he would try to leave, if not for the reason he had. **sans** had confirmed as much. A thought occurred to him. He turned back to the doors and reached out to them once more. Wrapping his knuckles against them, he said, "Knock knock."

He waited, but nothing happened. No voice answered, no return knock came. Ryan chuckled to himself and shook his head before he started to walk back to town once more. He had a long day ahead of him tomorrow, but perhaps it would go smoother than that one.

 

"I thought we'd pretty much just be getting right to it, like yesterday." Ryan told Undyne as they sat in the clearing they had made the previous day. The snow had been smoothed over once more by some means unknown to Ryan. Undyne had told him it was probably just some monsters who wanted to keep the forest in good repair. Ryan made a joke about how they would probably come to hate them then. They both laughed at the time, but the more Ryan thought about it, the worse he felt.

"That was the plan originally, but I've since come to realize that you don't have as good an idea of what you're doing as I thought." Undyne had a phone in her hands. She was clicking away at the buttons for some unknown purpose. Ryan noticed there were several anime figurines hanging off of a keychain attached to it. When she was done, she turned her attention back to him. "So, we're starting with the basics today. The first thing I do with any Royal Guardsmen in training is figure out what magic they make use of, toss out the ones that would be no help to them in a fight and focus on training the ones that are for the purpose of fighting. Now, I'm pretty sure I have a good idea of what you can do, but why not tell me anyway?"

Ryan thought to himself. He had dabbled in a lot of different magic, but most he could not really make use of outside of working a restaurant. "I guess the main ones are fire, lighting – though that one's a bit risky to use too much, then again maybe not anymore. I can mess around with wind, there's shields, and the illusions of course. That's what I can use quickly anyway."

"You're leaving some out, aren't you?" Undyne intoned.

Ryan looked at her sideways. "I don't think that energy absorption thing counts, it's not really a spell."

The monster shook her head. "Not that, you're strength, you're reflexes; the things that actually allowed you to survive fighting me up to this point."

She must misunderstand, Ryan realized. "No, that isn't magic. That's just me."

"No, it's not." The monster countered. "I know because I use the same magic myself. It's a magic all Royal Guards are required to master. It was thought to be discovered by Asgore himself for the purpose of fighting humans; to give use some chance at being able to beat them. But you seem to have figured it out yourself one way or another. And, trust me, I know it when I see it."

Ryan considered that for a moment. He supposed it was possible; he had always assumed it was just a product of him holding his own energy ready to use for spells similar to holding external energy behaved before molding it, but a full blown spell would make more sense. But how? The intricacy required to make a spell that could do all of the things his power did would be unimaginable. Strengthening muscle, deadening nerves, over sensitizing others, stimulating the production of countless chemicals, hormones, and proteins, and he somehow unconsciously figured out how to do it all? For a monster it made sense; their biology was much simpler. Could it really work the same way for humans?

"They're two separate spells." Undyne went on. "One for the senses and reflexes, the other for the added strength. And I already know that I'm right from what you told me yesterday about how it makes you stronger but unaware of how drained you become. You never realized what they were, did you?"

Ryan had no reason not to believe the monster. He had seen others use magic that he could only guess was incredibly complex, yet they say they knew how to do them from birth. He supposed he could do the same, but with how much difficulty he had had with just the simplest magic in the beginning, he found it hard to believe.

"No… I didn't." He said finally.

Undyne nodded. "I thought as much. I was the same way, actually. It was why the king let me train to begin with. Guess that's something else we have in common, huh?" The monster slapped him on the shoulder, roughly. She laughed at her own joke, but stopped once she realized Ryan was not laughing with her. She cleared her throat. "So, now that we know your resonance we have a place to start."

"Resonance?" Ryan asked as the both stood back up.

Undyne held up a lecturing finger. "Resonance magic is what monsters call the magic we have a natural tendency towards. Most monsters can use magic they resonate with before they even know what magic is, and every monster has one. And it seems humans do too. It's also magic that's easier for the individual to use while wielding multiple spells as well…" A thought seemed to occur to her just then. "Out of curiosity, how many spells can you use at once?"

Ryan thought for another moment. "Most of them, I guess. If I count the two you said, then those plus illusion plus the shields plus fire and air work really well together. So, I'd say six. I haven't experimented with the electricity thing much yet. It used to drain me for half of what I've got before I even realize it… What?"

Undyne had been staring at him with her eye wide. "Most monsters struggle with two spells at once… Six is…" She laughed after a pause, though there was no humor in it. "You humans really have it lucky, you know that? Six… And you think you could use more?" Ryan nodded. "You said humans on the surface know nothing about magic, right?" He nodded again. "Why do you think that is, if they're so strong in it?"

He shrugged. "No idea. Magic has always been skepticism at best for a long time before I was born."

Undyne was looking away from him. "Do you think… do you think we could trust humans with magic if we were to get out of here?"

"No, but that's a risk you'll have to take, isn't it? I'm sure I won't be the only one able to puzzle it out mostly on my own."

"I guess you're right…" She shook her head clear. "That's neither here nor there. The point is I know which spell to work on with you first. And you're in luck because it's one I know how to train better than any other."

She began to walk towards the edge of the clearing, gesturing for him to follow. "Why do I have the strangest feeling thing are going to start exploding." Ryan mumbled to himself.

Undyne led him back into the woods before turning to him. "We'll start with warm ups like yesterday, but this time no magic."

"Why?" Ryan questioned. "I thought this was about learning magic."

"The 'enhancement' spells we use work multiplicatively, so the stronger you yourself are, the more they enhance. Which means, scrawny, it's time to start putting some real, honest effort into this."

The second day, Ryan had no shame in not being able to keep up with the monster. He had never been one for working out. He exercised fairly regularly – otherwise paintball would be a nightmare – but that was only to stay in shape, never to get anywhere with it.

Undyne made him push himself harder than he ever thought possible, and by the end of the morning, he partially wanted to kill her, if he were able to move his arms at all. The monster carried him over her shoulder back into the clearing and dropped him on the snow. Ryan was still panting from exertion. He had resisted the urge to use magic all morning. The one time he tried, she hung him from a tree for half an hour. His ankles already felt sore from that, but then again so did the rest of him.

Undyne looked him up and down while he lay sprawled out on the ground. "Well?" she started. "You gonna just lay there all day? We're not done yet."

"You have got… to be joking." Ryan managed through labored breaths.

"Nope, we're switching gears is all. Come on, get up! Quit acting like you're exhausted."

"I am exhausted!" He protested.

Undyne rolled her eyes. "Did you forget about your little bounce-back trick already?"

Ryan lifted his head up as much as he could. "You said no magic."

"And I said we're switching gears. So recharge your batteries, stop being lazy, and get the hell up!"

Grumbling, Ryan opened himself. Energy flooded into him once more. It burned away his exhaustion in an instant and all of the fatigue and soreness with it. He cut himself off soon after and jumped to his feet. He felt like he had had a good night sleep and then some. It was different than when he recharged himself off food, which never lasted long unless he slept off the exhaustion. The best way he could describe it to himself was that this energy felt like it was his.

"Now," Undyne started as he turned to her. She had a bundle in her arms he had not seen her with before. "We start teaching you how to actually fight. Continuing on the train of not using magic, you're going to need one of these." She tossed the bundle out before her. It unrolled itself on the snow to reveal an assortment of weapons from foot-long knives all the way to a halberd even.

Ryan looked over the weapons questioningly. "Is this really necessary?" He asked.

"It's about reach more than anything. The ability to strike your opponent without putting yourself in range is very important and if can be done without wasting magic, than all the better. So, pick your poison."

He looked over the weapons again. There were double and single edged swords, axes, spears of course, maces, everything. Unsure of what to choose was the wrong way to put it, hesitant was more like it. He felt like he was signing a contract or a blood pact. Finally he settled on a longsword. He picked up the three-foot blade from its pocket in the roll of cloth. It felt heavy in his hand, like it had a weight beyond just the metal that made it up. The well-oiled blade shone even in the dim light of the forest. The hilt was plain, a darker steel wrapped in worn leather. Ryan could tell it had seen heavy use despite its pristine quality. The edge was blunt; it was meant as a practice sword.

"'A sword is not a gift it is a curse.'" He quoted to himself. "'It is a responsibility; a burden.' Seems more appropriate than anything else."

He turned back to Undyne who nodded in approval. She held her hand out and her own weapon materialized in her hand. He hoped she had blunted it as well. "So this is to be a crash course as well?"

"Of course." She began to sidestep and Ryan mirrored the monster, ready for the likely sudden attack.

Circling each other in the clearing, Ryan said, "I'd have thought something like this would be a bit different. Start by learning how to stand, how to hold it, how to block with it; stuff like that?"

The monster laughed. "You'll learn how to stand because you'll get sick of being knocked down. You'll learn how to hold it by getting sick of it being knocked out of your hands. And you'll learn how to block because you'll be sick of me hitting you. Understand? Anything outside of that will just steer you away from your instincts. That's the core of being able to fight: the instinct. So the only way you'll be able to learn how to use that sword properly is to start swinging it. Maybe you want some armor? It'll help in the beginning."

Ryan considered it, but shook his head. "I never liked armor. I feel too restricted in it."

"And what have you needed armor for before now?"

He shrugged. "Stuff."

Undyne shrugged back. "Suit yourself."

 

"What the heck happened to you?" Ryan walked, or more accurately stumbled, through the door of Sallie's home after his second day of training. The rabbit was at his side with in the second asking that question and more as she helped him to a seat at the kitchen table.

Ryan was shirtless; the article of clothing that now served as little more than a sweat rag was draped over his shoulder revealing countless purple bruises that covered nearly every inch of him and he was not sure all of them were only skin deep. "Turns out I'm very good with a sword." He said in answer to several of her questions. He was staring to believe that if this went on for many more days that look on her face that said she was questioning her life choices may become permanent whenever they were together. "And, according to Undyne, that's no reason for her to hold back."

Sallie visibly struggled for a response; some form of lecture meant for him or Undyne or both of them if he knew her well enough. Ryan was just happy her mother did not seem to be there to see him like that. "You look horrible!" She managed finally. She hesitated to touch him, looking over his arms and his chest as if she couldn't decide which worried her more.

Ryan shrugged. "I've had worse." He lied.

Sallie then looked ready to add to his number of bruises. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but no one finds your paintball 'war stories' impressive. Least of all me. Now, come on, we're going to my aunt to see if she can fix you at all. Maybe she can cure whatever sickness has taken over your brain while she's at it."

Ryan could not help but chuckle though it would most likely only dig his hole deeper. "This is Undyne we're talking about here. Anything having to do with her was bound to have rough beginnings. I'm sure the worst is behind me."

"It better be, because if you come home like this one more time, I'm done dealing with it. You can suffer in your lunacy on your own. Well, put your shirt back on so we can go."

Ryan pulled the shirt off of his shoulders and unrolled it to show her. The shirt was little more than strips of fabric now. There were almost as many holes in it as he had bruises. Blunted weapons or not, Ryan was not joking when he said the monster had not held back.

"This is not helping your case." She said simply, seeming more disappointed than anything by that point. Ryan gave her an innocent smirk and she rolled her eyes. "Give me that, I'll get you another one. You stay put!" Ryan did so, and the rabbit monster stomped off to their room.

Her mother and made him an entire wardrobe full of clothing in a single night. Sallie wondered briefly if he realized that meant they were practically married in her mother's eyes. The thought made her lose herself for a moment, but she shook her head of thoughts better left for another time.

She looked down at the damp, torn shirt in her hands. The smell of the thing made her nose wrinkle. "What ungodly reason could humans have for water coming out of their skin?" She asked herself. "And why on earth does it smell so bad?" She tossed the rag into a corner to be dealt with later, grabbed the first shirt she reached for out of their closet and went back to the kitchen to find that Ryan, thankfully, had not moved at all.

She tossed the shirt at his head. He moved to catch it but was too slow in his state and it hit him in the face. That made her smile.

After a few minutes of Ryan struggling into the garment, they were on their way to the inn. Before they got there, Sallie stopped in the middle of the empty street and turned to face him. The sound of snow crunching underneath her shifting feet was the only noise of the evening to reach them. "You understand how much I worry about you, right?" She placed a hand over the light of his soul and he tried his best not to wince.

"Of course," he told her. "And I'm sorry for making you worry. But this is something I have to do and the fastest way to do it."

The rabbits hand fell along with her eyes. "You know, when I pictured what it would be like when you came back, I didn't really have all of this in mind…"

Ryan brushed his hand against her face, drawing her eyes back to his. "I'll make it up to you one day. I promise." He told her.

Sallie took his hand in hers and leaned her head into his palm. "You hate making promises." She said.

"I know. That's how you can be sure I'll keep it." His corny smile made the monster giggle.

"Better not wait too long." She told him, leading him towards the hotel by the hand now. "I've waited far too long already."

"I was only gone two days, you know." He told her.

"Two days, ten years, there's very little difference when dealing with you."

When they reached the Snowed Inn, they found that Sallie's Aunt was not there at the moment. Sallie questioned her young cousin who was watching the counter in her mother's absence and found out she was next door before going to get her.

Ryan waited on the couch in the lobby of the inn. The television from across the room showed a familiar robot doing yet another weird show. A part of him was glad to see that Mettaton was alright. The rest of him wished he knew how to change the channel. He closed his eyes instead, drowning out the noise. As he waited for Sallie to return, he tried grabbing hold of his determination again.

Determination, there was really no better name for such a power; the ability to keep going, despite all limitations, maybe even death. He reveled in the feeling of power washing over him. It seemed to beg to be formed into something, but what? What could he do with so much power? Then a thought occurred to him: what had it already done to him?

A sound at the edge of his hearing made him let go of the power. "I honestly don't see what the rush is. As long as he's still conscious there's little worry. And if he's not in any pain-" The familiar voice of the innkeeper said as the door of the inn opened to let in the two rabbit monsters. "Plus, I've never healed a human before. It may work completely differently."

"Just see what you can do, that's all I'm asking." Sallie said as the both stepped in front of him. Ryan stood up as well, feeling slightly awkward.

"Well, let's see what all of the fuss is." The older monster said, waving for him be about it. Ryan took off his shirt and Sallie looked at him in shock. He looked down as well and his expression mirrored hers. "Oh, sweetie, you exaggerated. He hardly looks worse for wear at all."

She was right. Nearly all of the bruises that had covered him before were gone and those that remained looked almost healed as well.

_Well, that answers one question_ , Ryan thought, _and raises so many others._


	21. Amor

Ryan brought is sword up to block Undyne's incoming strike. Tensing – his arms felt like rubber – he felt the blow reverberate through his whole body, sending a new wave of aches and pains through it. The monster held the deadlock for an eternal moment, looking down at him and searching for a weakness. _She should not have to look far_ , he thought. They had been at this for almost six hours now with barely a break for lunch in the middle, and he had not been allowed to rest even during that. It would not have been any stretch of the imagination to say he was getting careless. For nearly two weeks it had been much the same every day, two hours of strength training followed by endless hours of learning how to fight with that God forsaken sword. And progress was slow.

He did not even realize Undyne had moved until her knee was in his ribs and the wind was knocked out of him. His sword dropped for a moment as he tried to stop himself from doubling over in shock and pain. Undyne, without a doubt, was a monster that did not know the meaning of holding back. Recovering as best he could, he turned his weapon to the side to block the monster's next strike, but it was not enough. His grip had slacked and the sword flew across the clearing as it was knocked from his hand, landing point first in the snow with the hilt sticking almost straight up into the air.

That was Ryan's second mistake: he let his eyes follow the sword as it flew away from him when she should have stayed focused on Undyne. One second he saw the sword, the sluggish thought of whether or not he might be able to retrieve it just beginning to form, the next second he saw only black.

After a moment of struggling against the burning weakness in his limbs, he managed to free his face from the snow. Undyne helped him to his feet, but he collapsed back to his knees as soon as she let him go. His head spun from her last blow; black spots swam across his vision. When his eyes did finally decide to focus, he saw that Undyne was looking down at him. Her disappointment was well hidden, but it was there and he could not help but grind his teeth under her stare. He had yet to land a single strike on the monster in any one of their sparing matches, and Ryan was beginning to question if it was even possible, without magic at least. Though, admitting that thought would surely spell his demise; Undyne could accept weakness of the body, because that could be burned out of a person, but she did not tolerate weakness of will. So he kept quiet and suffered the storm, day after day, hoping the next he would be able to do a little better. But it was not easy keeping his confidence up when faced with the facts. His so-called teacher was little help in that regard either, she had not said anything to suggest he gotten any better in the half month they trained.

"That's it for today." She told him, turning to retrieve the dropped sword. Ryan nodded though she could not see him; it was really all he could manage to do. Breathing still hurt a good deal after that fight. He must be getting better, he must be! He could move and strike without panic taking over anymore and without feeling completely clueless. But so far that only translated to him being able to stand there and get his sword batted aside and add to his ever-increasing scar count. Part of fighting was also supposedly learning your opponent, but Undyne was nothing if not unpredictable. It did not make things any easier for him. Oh well, he would just have to try harder tomorrow. It was all he could do.

"No training tomorrow." The monster informed him as she held out the sword for him to take. It was his, according to her, until he died or until he found a better one. Ryan blinked and realized he must have zoned out. He asked her to repeat what she had said and still almost did not believe her words at first.

"Really?" He asked before he could stop himself. That was a one way ticket to reversing that decision for sure. It could have even been a test to see how strongly his heart was still in it.

Surprisingly, though, the monster nodded. "I have some things I need to take care of most of tomorrow, so you're off the hook for the day. You can train on your own or slack off all day, it's up to you." Ryan nodded. He had been doing that on occasion, the former at least. He had recruited Papyrus and a few of the other sentries to assist him in practicing some evenings when he felt he had not quite gotten the hang of something enough. But perhaps tomorrow he would just rest. He certainly felt like sleeping for a whole day at that moment.

Leaving Ryan in the clearing, Undyne went about her now daily inspection of the forest sentries. That had earned him some sour looks from a few monsters. Most felt keen to blame him for that new hell forced upon them. As if they were ones who had to get whaled on by her all day! He was certain it was the only reason some of them had agreed to practice with him, however. What monster could pass up the opportunity to take out their anger on a human? Ryan hardly cared. He had been quick to learn that most of Snowdin's acceptance of him was only skin deep. To the majority of its denizens he was, at most, a tolerable pain that would go away on its own if ignored long enough. And that suited him just fine, as long as he got stronger.

After struggling a moment to stand, Ryan walked over to the pile of charred wood that still sat at the edge of the forest and grabbed the scabbard he had also been given from one of the logs. Strapping the sword to his belt, he began his walk back to town.

As soon as he was out of the clearing, he let his determination fill him and felt all of the day's fatigue wash away in its wake. He had not once returned to town as bruised as he had that first night, even if he had been injured worse since, if it was only because of the strange healing his power caused. Within minutes he felt better than when he had woken up that morning. He breathed deeply and rolled his shoulders to test his recovery. There was still some soreness, likely where Undyne had fractured bone, but that would be gone in a few hours as well. He had stopped questioning the logic of it. It was a blessing, and he was not about to spit on it.

Ryan had told Undyne that with his power they could fight infinitely longer, but she disagreed, saying it would take the same amount of time for him to learn whether they spared for half a day or the whole day. So, instead, unhindered by exhaustion, Ryan had most of his evenings free to do as he pleased, unless Undyne was particularly dissatisfied with his performance that day. Those evenings were more often than not spent relaxing with either Sallie or Snowy and sometimes both. The two monsters seemed to have gotten along swimmingly in his short absence, not that that was a bad thing.

He spent most of his nights trying to figure out just what it was his power was doing to him. He may have stopped questioning why it happened, but he still wanted to know how, which was not easy. Magic was not something you could necessarily see, but one could usually visualize what they were weaving with some degree of accuracy. He just had to figure out what it was he was doing without realizing it. The only thing he had managed to figure out thus far was that the magic was even more complex than he had thought. So much so that he did not think he would ever be able to get a handle on everything it was doing. But he had not given up yet. If he could just isolate a single thread of the spell and follow it without getting lost along the way…

Ryan caught himself trying to do just that as he was still walking through the forest. He was almost back to the bridge, he realized, and he shook his head to clear it. There was time to be obsessed with that later.

 

Sallie was finishing the prep work for dinner when she heard Ryan coming up the stairs. Satisfied that everything was set, she went to meet him at the door. She would not actually be doing the cooking herself. Ryan had handled dinner for the most part since they began living together.

One of the first nights she had tried to cook for him, and he had kindly but firmly told her never to do it again. She honestly did not blame him; it was not something she ever had a knack for. Plus, having been trained by Grillby, he was infinitely better at cooking than almost everyone in the Underground, so she was not complaining. Still, after what he had to deal with every day, she felt she should help out any way she could if it meant he had more time to relax.

Ryan stepped through the door looking no worse for wear than when he had left, though from the stories he had told her, he should hardly be walking. She knew it had something to do with that strange power he had told her about, but when he tried to explain what he thought it was, it still made little sense. Self-healing magic was supposedly impossible, after all how could you replace your energy with your own energy? If she had not seen it with her own eyes, she would not have believed him. Despite appearing fine, he certainly smelled just as bad as usual.

"How'd it go today?" She asked, failing to stop herself from scrunching her nose and trying to hide it behind a smile instead.

"No worse than usual." He told her, sounding much more tired than he looked. Whatever his power, it did not seem to heal the mental fatigue of dealing with Undyne all day. He hugged her briefly, knowing full well how bad he reeked, and went to their room to grab a change of clothes.

The man seemed unable to wear a set of clothes more than once before they were ruined, though she supposed that was hardly his fault – she still thought the crazy monster could hold back a little bit. Still, at the rate he went through clothes, he was probably better off fighting naked! Now that was an image. She would have paid to see that, if only for how hilarious it would likely be.

Ryan emerged from their room a few moments later and immediately got to work on the food. Cooking seemed to be well-needed therapy for him, and one she got to reap the benefits of. Sitting down at the table, Sallie watched him work. "Any new stories?" She asked him. She still wanted to keep a mental record of every pain Undyne put him through so that she could make her answer for them one day. The idea was ridiculous, really; there was no way in hell she would ever be able to do anything to the guardswoman, but it made her feel better.

"No," he began, not looking up from the counter, "but I do have news: I've been given tomorrow off."

That was a shock. The monster seemed ready to work him every day until the end of time if that was what it took. "So what are you going to do tomorrow, then?" She asked him suggestively.

To that, he did look up from his work, though not at her. He stared at the back wall of the kitchen with his brow drawn. "I don't know." He said as if he had not actually given it any thought. He turned his gaze back to the cooking. "You got any plans?"

"Not at the moment. So I'm sure we could work something out." She stood up and went over to lean on the counter while Ryan cooked. "For now though, why not tell me more about the surface? I still have trouble believing that humans can make ships that fly through the air and not have any comprehension of the concept of magic."

They continued to talk through dinner and long into the night until finally the hour became one where they decided to turn in. "I'll be nice, finally being able to wake up together." Sallie commented, sitting down on their bed.

Ryan stood in the doorway and smirked at her. "We could do that every day if you got up earlier."

She threw her head back against the pillow at how ridiculous that notion was. "I'm sorry, but some of us are not physically capable of waking up at four in the morning!" She pushed herself back up to lean on her arms after a moment and look at him. "When are you going to realize she pushes you too hard?"

Ryan's eyes dropped with a sigh and his good mood seemed to leave with the air that escaped him. "Maybe she is," he said quietly. "Maybe she's not pushing me nearly hard enough. Maybe I should just train tomorrow…"

"You're not invincible, you dolt," she reminded him, "and you can't work yourself to death either. Everyone needs breaks, even you."

"Maybe…" He said and Sallie groaned. He was doing it again.

At the start, Ryan had been… hesitant to accept anything outside of the torture Undyne gave him from situation he now found himself in. But after a few days he finally grew content that things would not suddenly go horribly wrong now that all of the secrets were out in the open and he finally started settling in. Beneath it all, though, there still seemed to be something on his mind.

"Is something bugging you?" she asked him as he went to stand in front of the sliding door to their balcony.

"No," he told her simply. His tone was not enough to convince her. He sounded like he was thinking about whatever it was as he said it.

"Really?" she pried. "Because it sounds like something is bugging you."

The slight shift in his shoulders could have been a shrug, but it also could have been a twitch of guilt. "I don't know." He told her.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean, I don't know." He said without turning to her. "Something _has_ been bugging me but I don't know what it is let alone if it's even a real problem or all just in my head. And just trying to figure out what's been bugging me had been bugging me."

Sallie laughed softly. She found it amusing how humans could fret over the strangest things, like problems that didn't exist. "Oh to be twenty again!" she said dramatically. "So young, so naïve!" she laughed louder at her own joke.

"Twenty one," Ryan responded plainly.

Sallie sat back up in the bed. "Huh?"

"I'm twenty one." He clarified.

"I thought you said you were twenty."

"I did. I was. Now I'm not."

"When did this happen?"

"If my phone's not broken, a few days ago." He was fairly certain it was broken. It still had not read less than one hundred percent charged for as long as he could recall. Though, it had not died yet either.

Sallie shot up from the bed. "Why didn't you say anything?"

He shrugged, still staring out over the balcony. "I've never put much emphasis behind my birthday."

She could not believe what she was hearing. She understood that humans did some strange things, but that was just too much. "But you have to celebrate!" She affirmed.

Ryan finally turned to her. The look on his face telling her he was not joking only made it worse. "The last birthday I celebrated was my sixteenth. I got horribly drunk and decided the party life was not for me."

She frowned at him. He could give her all the excuses he wanted, but she was not giving this one up. "Well, that's no reason not to celebrate this one." She maintained. Then, her face lit up. "We could throw a party tomorrow!" she realized. The details were already coming together in her head. "I don't know who we could get to go on such short notice, but I'm sure…" She trailed off as she realized Ryan was no longer in front of her. Suddenly arms wrapped around her waist from behind and she jumped slightly, but Ryan held her in place. He rested his chin on her head a moment later.

"I'd much rather spend my day off relaxing with you." He told her.

That would not do. Birthdays were meant to be celebrated. And besides, she could hardly let his last memory associated with them be so bitter. Those alone were reason enough to make her decision. Whether he said he wanted it or not, he was going to get a party, and she was sure he would come around to the idea eventually. Maybe it would also take his mind off of whatever it was he did not want to talk about.

 

Ryan woke early the next morning, as he had grown used to, only to find that Sallie was already up and gone. That was strange. Going out into the kitchen, he found a note on the table from her. It merely read,

_Something came up, had to run to city with mom to buy some stuff. Will probably be gone most of the day, sorry…_

_-Sallie_

Ryan sighed. So much for their plans.

Seeing no reason not to, Ryan went out back and started his usual morning workout routine. Just because he had a day off, did not mean he could shirk everything. Sallie's house had a small space behind it that Ryan would have hesitated to call a yard. Empty of furniture or anything else he might break, he thought it would serve his purposes. His workout was not anything special, really, mainly bodyweight exercises. The challenge was the amount Undyne had been forcing him to do on a daily basis. Because of his power she worked him like he did not need to move for a week after and he wondered just how much he could get himself to do without the monster breathing down his neck.

Two hours later, he was exhausted but he had managed to do it all and that made him proud. Breathing deeply, he was back to fully recovered minutes later. He smoothed out the snow in Sallie's yard before going up to get ready for the day. Briefly, he wondered if he should find some way to shower. Though, neither Sallie, nor anyone really, had complained that he smelled after coming back from training once he had a chance to change. Perhaps his powers were affecting that as well? It was the only real answer he could come up with. He would have to look into it at some point.

Putting on a new shirt – that was thankfully not striped – and running a hand through his hair that he was beginning to think was getting too long, he set out towards the forest figuring he should check up on Snowy. The young drake was still out on his own in his little hideaway and refused to go home whenever asked. Worse still, his father seemed as if he did not care either way the one time Ryan had run into him. He and Sallie had discussed the possibility of doing something about that.

The two of them had been keeping Snowy company whenever possible. He and Sallie had quickly grown closer than Ryan himself was with the ice monster as Sallie had shown to be a better help with the young monster's comedy than Ryan could ever be. The two could joke circles around him. And so Snowy was a little disappointed when it was only him that showed up in the clearing.

"Undyne give up on you already, or are you just too cool for school?" The monster joked as he drifted down from the top of his snow fort to the table Ryan and Sallie had brought out there with them about a week ago.

"I have been given the privilege of a day off." He told him. "Though to be honest, I'm half expecting it to be some sort of test and she's going to jump out at me at any moment." Ryan did not really think that all too much, otherwise he would not have left his sword back in town. Two weeks and he already felt like something was missing without it. He had yet to decide if that was a good thing or not.

The small drake stepped closer and looked up at him like he did not believe a word of it. "Come on," he said. "You can tell me if you got iced. I won't make fun of you for it, much." The monster laughed and flew back to the trees, looking back towards the town. "Sallie coming?" he asked.

Ryan shook his head. "No, she's busy today apparently. Something about an emergency shopping trip."

"Shopping?" Snowy questioned, dropping back down to the ground. "What about shopping qualifies as an emergency?" Ryan shrugged and the monster shook his head. "Girls are weird," he mumbled.

"Don't let them hear you say that, otherwise you'll never get one to like you." Ryan told him. The monster shrugged as if the thought did not really concern him.

"So, got any new tricks to show me?" After Sallie had taken over the role as Snowy's routine manager, much of his and Ryan's time together had turned to the topic of magic. Ryan had been trying to teach Snowy what spells he knew, though most seemed beyond the monster's abilities. Fire magic was not something he wanted to touch, and it seemed most else was just too complicated for the monster. Still, they tried again, and the attempts took them well into the afternoon with little more success than usual.

Ryan also still believed he could learn ice magic from the monster if he tried hard enough. Snowy thought it like asking a fish to teach a bird to swim. "I told you, _I_ barely know how it works. I just do it." Thinking on his own power, Ryan understood what the monster meant more than he had before, but he still thought he was making headway with his own, so he was not ready to give up yet.

"You're sure there's nothing you can pick out? Like whether the ice just materializes the same way as fire, or if you use the water in the air and suck out the energy?" He had tried that already, it did not work the way he had intended and he nearly turned Papyrus's living room into a cryogenic chamber.

The monster groaned. "I don't know!" he maintained. "The way it works for me is I think 'I want ice' and I get ice. That's all there is to it. You can't learn another monster's resonance, at least not the same way you learn other magic and not the same way the monster does it."

"Show me again anyway." Ryan told him. "I have an idea." And one he was not sure how he did not come up with before.

Letting out an aggravated breath, the monster hopped to the center of the clearing. Picking out a tree at random as a target, the drake spread his wings and Ryan enhanced his senses using his own resonance magic. Time slowed to a crawl and he watched very closely what Snowy was doing. The monster's wings seemed to move forward at a snail pace to him. And as they did, Ryan saw ice crystals forming before him. They seemed to come from the monster himself, materializing in small fragments before coming together to form several spikes about the size of his hand. Ryan smiled to himself.

Letting go of his magic, time resumed its normal pace and in a blink the ice spikes flew across the clearing and embedded themselves in the tree. "Happy?" Snowy said. "I can show you a million and one times and it will make no difference."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Ryan told him. He had been right, it was magic along the same line as fire and he thought he understood the differences now. Focusing on his hand he readied the spell. Not fire, but water. Water had to be more fluid, more physical; it needed more energy. And it needed to be cold. He fixed the image in his head, visualized every aspect of it, and finally let the spell take shape much the same way that fire would. Mist formed over his hand and then it gathered until it formed a ball of ice the size of his fist.

Snowy stood beneath him, eyes wide in shock. "How did you do that?" he asked.

Ryan smirked. "Magic," he joked. With a thought, the ball of ice changed to disk and he sent it hurtling towards the same tree Snowy had used for target practice. In his excitement, he had grabbed hold of his power again without realizing. The disk cut straight through the tree and it fell into the snow. "Well that opens a realm of possibility." He said to himself.

"I don't get it." Snowy went on. "How did you learn that just from seeing me do it? Can all humans do that?"

Ryan shrugged. "It isn't much different than fire magic really. Actually, all spells that could be considered 'elemental magic' work pretty much the same way. They're all slight variations of just pushing energy out of yourself, at least the way I do it." It was true; the only difference there seemed to be between the spells seemed to be the focus of the thought behind them and the amount of energy you tried to push. Air was as simple as directing your energy as a burst and learning the patterns to how it changed the wind. Lighting was much the same except the amount of energy you used was magnitudes greater. Fire put emphasis on things like heat and light, which was why manipulating that spell could lead to one with just one property of the other, and it seemed water worked along the same vine as well. He wondered how earth fit into the mix, but as he did not want to accidentally bring the mountain down around them, he decided to let that lie until another day. He had enough to mess around with as it was anyway.

"I wonder…" He whispered. Ryan swung his arm up, ice forming in front of where it arced. He released control and the ice fell to the ground, shattering on impact. He swung his other arm up and instead of letting the ice go he tied it off. The spell hung in the air, suspended from nothing. Untying it again, the ice dissolved into mist. That fact seemed to hold true for any untied spell.

"What are you trying to do?" Snowy asked him.

"Nothing, just messing around." Ryan cut his hand through the air once more. This time, he tried altering the makeup of the spell, starting with what was closest to him. He could mix together air and fire for some interesting results, what about fire and water? With a brush of his hand, the ice seemed to physically morph into fire and the flame raced down its length until the whole arc was consumed and the fire died in a puff of mist. "Okay, that was cool."

His phone buzzed in his pocket while Snowy stammered in confusion. It was Papyrus's number. Wondering what the monster could want, he answered the call. "Hey Paps, what's up?" He greeted the skeleton.

"Nope, it's me." Sallie's voice answered on the other end. "I borrowed Papyrus's phone."

"I thought you were in the city." Ryan questioned.

"City?" He heard Snowy say from behind him.

"I just got back." Sallie told him. "Are you with Snowy?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Good, come back to town and bring him with you, we could use your help."

"With what?" He questioned.

"We bought something big and need help getting it inside. And hurry up will you! We don't need it being ruined in the snow! We're at Grillby's right now, so meet us there." The monster hung up on him before he could inquire more.

"Who was that?" Snowy questioned as Ryan replaced his phone in his pocket.

"Sallie," he told the drake. "We have been summoned, apparently."

"For what?"

"Heavy lifting. They bought something in the city and need help with it. Though how they had managed to get it all the way here is anyone's guess if they need help now."

Snowy tilted his head to the side. "Wait, are you really buying that?"

Ryan turned to the monster. "What do you mean?"

"The city, really? Is that where she told you she went shopping?"

"Yeah, why?"

The monster shook his head. "No one goes all the way to New Home just to go shopping. Everything we need is here. The only reason anyone here would go there would be for a vacation and it would be for longer than a day or it would hardly be worth the trip. Any monster would know that. I think it's pretty obvious you're being duped, my human friend. Though to what end, I do not know."

Ryan looked towards the cliffside town, suddenly very scared to go back. "Well, there's only one way to find now, isn't there?"

 

Back in town, Ryan stopped in front of Grillby's with his hand on the door. He looked down at Snowy. "You want to wait outside?"

The young ice drake shook his head. "I've been here enough times recently that I'm starting to get used it." He told him. Ryan nodded and opened the door to go inside.

The world exploded, or at least that is what he thought happened for a moment. A series of loud cracks sounded around Ryan as he stepped through the doorway. He nearly lashed out in defense of an attack before he saw the shimmering paper that now floated down all around him.

"Surprise!" Several voices yelled. "Happy birthday!"

As Ryan's eyes finally adjusted to the dimness of the restaurant, he took in the faces of several monsters all smiling back at him from around the tables. Most of the dogs were there as well as Papyrus and Undyne, who stood in the back near the bar. And in the center of them was Sallie, a look of smug satisfaction on her face as she took in his reaction to her little surprise.

Before doing anything else, Ryan turned to Snowy who was still in the doorway looking ready to jump out of his feathers. "Were you in on this at all?" He asked the monster.

The kid did not look like he entirely heard what Ryan had asked. "No?" He answered.

"Good. You get to live." Sallie threw her arms around him a second later.

Kissing him on the cheek, she said, "You didn't really expect me to believe you didn't want a party, did you?"

Ryan looked around the room one more time. Streamers hung from the ceiling and most of the tables. Music played softly in the background, nothing he recognized, though he did see that it was coming from the speakers he had bought from the shop some time ago. A banner hung over the bar that said Happy Birthday with a name crossed out and his own written above it. The dogs were already into conversation amongst themselves with drinks in hand. Undyne looked like she would rather be somewhere else. "I mean, sort of…" Ryan said in answer to the rabbit's question. "How did you set all this up?"

Papyrus walked up behind the other monster and cleared his nonexistent throat. "Once more, Papyrus's masterful decorating skills come to the rescue." The skeleton announced.

"There isn't much you're not good at, is there Papyrus." Sallie said to the monster.

"Oh ho ho! Finally starting to notice, are we?"

Shaking her head at the monster, she turned back to Ryan. "So what do you think?"

Instead of answering her question, he asked "Why are the dogs here?"

"They insisted," she told him. "Something about a past missed opportunity."

Ryan thought he knew what she was talking about, but the thought slipped before he could grasp it. Snowy flew up and perched on Sallie's shoulder. "Well, I for one love parties."

"See, that's the right attitude. You could still learn a thing or two from Snowy, Ryan." The two monsters smiled up at him and Ryan was beginning to question Snowy's noninvolvement. "Say, Snowy, wanna help me check on something really quick? Ryan seems like he needs a minute to get out of his mood anyway." The rabbit monster leaned closer and whispered to him, "This is happening, so quite sulking already, will you?" With one last smile, she disappeared with Snowy into the back room.

"I was quite disheartened to learn that you had not told me it was your birthday." Papyrus said to him now that they were alone. "Why wouldn't you want anyone to know?"

Ryan pointed at the monster to silence him. "We will discuss this later." He told the skeleton.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked looking back and forth between Ryan and the finger pointed at him.

"I'm still deciding that."

Ryan walked to the bar, greeting the dogs one by one on his way over and turning down several offers of gifts. Once at the bar, Grillby slid a drink his direction with a nod and then poured a second for himself. They both held their shots glasses in the air in silent toast and down them in one gulp.

He then went over to Undyne, who was watching Papyrus make some final adjustment to the decorations. "I'm surprised to see you here." He told the monster.

Undyne shrugged. "Papyrus invited me, though your girlfriend doesn't seem too happy about it. I was done with my business, so I said 'why not?'" Undyne looked over the room. "It's all so weird. I grew up hating humans, all monsters do. And yet I'm at a party for one. It surreal, really."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, it wasn't my idea." Ryan said.

The soldier shrugged. "We're both here either way, so we may as well enjoy it, right? Grillby! Open up a tab! I got a feeling it's going to be one of those nights."

Ryan chuckled as the monster walked away from him and Sallie took her place. A glance behind her showed him that Snowy was already entertaining some of the dogs on one of the tables. He really had gotten much better with his comedy. "So, finally in a better mood?" Sallie asked him. He noticed she had exchanged her normal attire for a snow white dress. The design was plain but it looked beautiful on her.

"Since I know yes is the right answer, can I say that and not get in trouble?" She playfully smacked him on the chest.

"Come on, this is a party! There is to be no sulkiness at parties, especially from the birthday boy."

"I'm sorry. I'm just seriously not that into parties. Never have been. You look amazing, by the way."

He saw the monster blush through her fur. "Thank you," she took a moment to collect herself, "but more to the point, you know they make an excellent cure for not enjoying something." The monster placed a drink in his hands.

Ryan looked at the glass and placed it on the bar. "Anyone ever tell you you're a bad influence?" He joked. "Next you'll be trying to get Snowy to drink."

"Hardy har har." Sallie looked over her shoulder at the others, now all gathered around Snowy and laughing with increasing fervor. Turning back to him, the rabbit sighed. "Look, just give it an hour, okay? If you're still not having fun by then, you can go home, agreed?"

Ryan sarcastically rolled his eyes. "Alright, I guess so." He said, picking the drink back up from the bar.

He ended up staying for much longer than an hour, if only to make Sallie happy. Snowy put on several shows, he himself ended up showing off a bit of his magic, Undyne only tried to start two fights. There was cake, drinking games, bad singing. All in all, it was a very good party. But, at the back of his mind, Ryan could not bring himself to fully enjoy it.

Eventually, everything began to settle down and Ryan found himself sitting at the bar looking over everyone as they listened to Undyne tell a story about one of the times she had tied him to a tree. Grillby stood next to him, waiting to see if he wanted another drink more than likely, but he had cut himself off hours ago. "What about you?" he asked the fire monster. "Do you think there's something unnatural about all of this too?" The monster shrugged without looking up at him. Ryan had expected as much from him. "I don't get it much myself." He went on. "A year ago I would have said this was a dream come true, but now I feel like it's the last thing I should be doing, you know?" The monster shrugged again. Ryan sighed. "Sallie's right, I should be enjoying this, but…"

He looked to Sallie who was laughing at the other monster's story despite her misgivings towards her. He did appreciate the effort she put into all of this regardless of how much he was enjoying it, and he was beginning to think it time to show that appreciation. Heading over to the speakers, he began by hijacking the music. The other party goers took notice and heads turned to him. When the song began, Sallie's eyes lit up. It was one of her favorites that she had heard on his phone and she had told him more than once how good it would be to dance to. Pushing tables out of the way with magic to clear a space, he made his way over to her. He bowed and held his hand out to her. "May I?"

"Always," She said as she taking his hand. And the two lost themselves in the moment.

 

Sallie was amazed by how much better Ryan had somehow gotten at dancing. His movements were so fluid she felt like she was flying! It seemed the training he was doing really was good for something other than getting him hurt. As the song came to an end and Sallie came back to earth, she felt like laughing in her giddiness. She heard the other monsters clap. But one look up at Ryan's face and her good mood turned sour. He still looked like he did not want to be there. "Are you really not having fun?" She asked him.

He sighed. "I am having fun, really. I told you, I'm just not one for parties."

She was not satisfied with that answer. She gestured around herself. "Ryan, look around you! Look at all the people who love you and care about you. What more could you ask for? What more could you want?"

Instead of having the effect she desired, Ryan looked even more sullen than he had all night. "Sometimes, the thing we want most is the last thing we need." He said, and then as if something had just dawned on him, his moodiness was gone and he looked the happiest he had in days. He pulled her close as the next song began. "You are right, though," he said. "I may have already dug my grave, but I might as well enjoy my life before I fill it." They were off again before she could question what he meant by that, so she filed it away to ask him later. But, after the third song, and the smile he wore had not shown any sign of disappearing from his face in the slightest, his words were forgotten.

Other monsters joined the dancing as the night went on. Dogamy and Dogaressa spun in one corner, Undyne practically flung Papyrus around the room, and everyone else found a spot where they could. Until, finally, tiredness decided that it was time to call it a day. Everyone said goodbye to one another and returned to their beds. "I still expect you out in that forest tomorrow morning." Undyne told Ryan as Papyrus carried her stumbling form out of the restaurant.

"Of course," he told her as he closed the door behind the monsters. Only he, Sallie and Snowy remained to help Grillby clean the place up. Once that was done, Ryan and Sallie went over to Snowy who seemed to be hesitating to leave.

"You did really well, today." Sallie told the young monster. "You barely seemed to blink at that crowd."

The drake shrugged it off as if overcoming his fear was no big deal. "You get used to it." he told her. "Thanks for inviting me, though. It was a lot of fun." He looked at the door sullenly and then back up at them. "I… guess I'll head out then."

Ryan and Sallie looked at each other. "Do you want to tell him?" Ryan asked.

The monster shrugged. "It's as good a time as any, I guess."

"What are you guys…?" Snowy questioned.

Sallie leaned down to the monster, smiling brightly at him. "How would you like to come live with us instead of going back to that lonely place in the forest?" She asked him. "The attic is right above our room and it isn't insulated, so you shouldn't have to worry about overheating. It should be perfect."

The monster's face lit up. "Really?"

Ryan nodded. "We've decided we no longer like the idea of you out in the forest all by yourself. And if your dad won't welcome you home, then you should be somewhere you are welcome." The monster flew off the table and hit Ryan square in the chest, knocking him to the floor. Looking up, he saw that Snowy was trying his best to wrap his wings around him in a hug. The monster was smiling; tears were staring to form in his eyes. Ryan couldn't help but laugh. Sallie hid her own laughter behind her hand. Snowy looked up and, realizing how ridiculous they must look, started to laugh himself.

The next morning, as Ryan was away training once again, Snowy and Sallie were in the attic setting up the monster's new room. "It'll be a little empty for now," she was telling him, "but we can go to my aunt's later and pick up some stuff, if you want."

The young monster was flying between the ties of the rafters looking just as ecstatic as he had last night. "Sounds good." He said, though Sallie was certain he was only half paying attention. She smiled to herself. Now she had two boys to look after. It was like she had her own little family.

 

Ryan spun to strike his sword at the monster from a diagonal. Undyne blocked with the haft of her spear with the same practiced ease she turned away all of his strikes. He did not waste a moment, spinning his momentum into another strike at her other side this time from below. When that was blocked, he moved straight into another and then another. He did not let up on the soldier, taking a much more offensive approach than he had up to that point until the monster had to back up to avoid his barrage.

It was more than he had ever accomplished in fighting with the monster before, but he knew it would not be enough. Taking advantage of a moment Undyne twisted her spear to hit him in the side. He braced against the blow, but it still stung fiercely. Pushing pain aside was difficult without his power, but he managed as best he could as he broke the engagement with the monster.

"What's with all of the showy stuff?" Undyne asked him during the pause. "You're not dancing with your girlfriend anymore, you know."

Ryan smiled. Through labored breaths, he told the monster. "Some say true swordplay is a dance."

Undyne smirked back at him. She had noticed another change in him recently. He seemed to finally be taking everything less seriously. It was a good sign, but also a tight line to walk, and one she would have to do her best to keep him balanced on. "Is it now?" She challenged, spinning her spear back to a ready stance.

Ryan nodded, taking on a similar stance of his own. "Indeed." He said. "Allow me to demonstrate."


	22. Trust in Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, I have finished with my hiatus and should be putting stuff up for either this or my other story every Friday now. If I don't, please yell profanities and insults at me.

"I think we should get our own place." Sallie announced suddenly one evening.

Ryan turned his head to look at the monster lying on the bed next to him. He pulled the music he had been listening to quietly out of ear. "What?" he questioned.

"I think we should get our own place." The rabbit repeated slowly so that she made sure he heard her.

Ryan's eyes dropped for a second as if he still did not understand for a second. "What's wrong with this place?" he asked after a moment.

Sallie frowned. She had been hoping he would not try to argue with her on this. "Well, it's my mom's place for one," she began to explain. "I'm sure she would like it back someday. We would finally have some privacy then, which would be a plus. That, and with Snowy living with us now, I just think we should have something a bit more suitable for the three of us."

The young monster in question was sitting on a table on the other side of the room with a book opened up in front of him. The drake had been living with them more than a month now and seemed to have adjusted well. More important than anything though, he seemed to be happy. Snowy's head was buried in the pages of the book; he had not seemed to take note that they were talking about him. It must have been a good story. They had all been enjoying a moment of quiet before Sallie had brought up the topic they were now on. And Ryan already looked like he wanted nothing more than to go back to that quiet.

Undyne had only been pushing him harder and harder those last few weeks, though he felt like he was finally getting somewhere in the training. But every time he thought he had the monster on the ropes, she would pull another trick out of her hat and best him once again. He was constantly kept on his toes and it was mentally exhausting.

He looked forward to coming back to Sallie's home more and more. Almost everything the three of them did together helped clear his mind from all of the stress and troubles that built up throughout the day, but this was at the top of the list of things he did not want to talk about. But Sallie had already started; they may as well see it through, for better or for worse.

"Where would we even move to?" He asked, trying to dissuade her in some way.

"There's plenty of room in Snowdin for another house." She explained. "And if that doesn't interest you there _is_ an entire forest below us and there's no law that says we can't live there."

Ryan caught something in her words that seemed off. "Wait, now were building a house?" He questioned after piecing it together.

"Of course," she told him. "It's easy, with magic. We could set it up however we'd like and have it done in less than a week. It's the bears' main business, actually, and I'm sure they'd be happy for the work."

Ryan looked away from her once more, turning to the doors that lead to the balcony. "I don't know… I'll think about it."

"Oh, come on!" Sallie complained. "Are you seriously trying to tell me you like it here that much? This stuffy little place where you're either choking on cloth fibers or it smells like burnt fabric most days? What's there to think about? There is absolutely no downside to having our own home. Right, Snowy? Wouldn't you rather have our own place than stay here?" After a moment, the drake shrugged, not looking up from the book. "I'm counting that as a yes." Sallie said, turning back to Ryan who rolled his eyes.

"Really? I don't even think he heard you."

"Oh, what does it matter? I stand by what I said. What's there to think about? There are no negatives with this."

Ryan shook his head. "I still need to think about it for a bit," he maintained. "I feel like I've only just gotten used to the way everything is now and I just want it to stay like that for a while."

He turned away from her, looking back at his phone. "What do you have against change?" She asked him, the last of her frustration leeching into the words.

"It's a human thing." He told her as he put the headphones back in his ear, still looking away.

Sallie decided to drop the subject after that. She turned away from Ryan and was silent until she put Snowy to bed sometime later. When he was sure the rabbit herself was asleep sometime after that, Ryan got up and went to the forest to calm his thoughts.

 

The next morning, Ryan was still looking over the tree tops in the clearing where he had trained for what felt like years already, trying to see if an answer to all his questions was hidden between the branches. He had ended up hardly getting any sleep last night. He hardly felt like he had needed any; the more time he spent trying to figure out how his determination worked, the more his body seemed to be running itself without his help. He just still did not understand why. He hardly ate anything compared to what he used to either. He wondered if Sallie had noticed and realized she must have. You don't go from eating enough for twelve to not even eating enough for one and not notice. Then why had she not said anything?

A shout from behind him pulled him from his thoughts. He turned, habitually bringing his sword up to block Undyne's swipe at his left side. The ring of metal sprung into the air as the two weapons struck each other. Ryan wasted no time in countering. Pushing the spear out of his way, he spun into her reach and the monster blocked his strike with her forearm which was covered, just as the rest of her was, in armor.

The decision had been made some time ago to switch to sharpened weapons. Better incentive to learn faster, according to Undyne. With that decision, Undyne began fighting in her full plate and once again encouraged Ryan to the same. Once more he had refused. His power could heal most minor injuries in minutes, anything worse than that, well, he would just have to make sure it never got far enough that he would need to test that.

Undyne threw his sword aside much the same as he had her spear and grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him closer to her. Ryan kept his eyes fixed on her's ready for whatever she did next. But an attack never came. Instead, her expression turned from controlled fury to one of curiosity and concern. "You alright?" she asked, letting him go. "You seem like your mind's somewhere else today."

Ryan blinked while he processed a response. He would not have put money on Undyne asking him that, at least, not in the middle of a fight. "No, I'm fine," he told her as he brought his sword back up. "Let's keep going."

The monster made no similar move. "Don't lie to me. There's no point if your head's not in it. You can't learn anything that way. So, what is it?"

Ryan thought about lying to her for a moment, the last thing he needed was one more monster worrying about him, but in the end he figured that even if Undyne knew, she would not be one to worry. He let out a defeated breath and tried to figure out how to word it. "Do you really think I'll ever stand a chance against the king?" he asked finally.

Undyne just looked at him for a moment before starting to laugh. "What made you bring that up again all of the sudden?" Ryan held his gaze to show he was trying to be serious. Undyne's humor died a moment later. "Come on, squirt, that's my job, isn't it?"

"But do you really think I can beat him?" He maintained.

That time it was Undyne's turn to sigh. "To be honest, I don't know. You're strong, kid, and with that power of yours you could outlast anyone in a fight. But Asgore has a history of fighting humans. He may have secrets he's kept to himself for centuries. Heck, he may have even fought humans stronger than you once upon a time. He never really talks about what it was like before.

"Short version: in the best case it could go either way, and I don't think any amount of training will get you any better than that."

Ryan looked to the ground with a somber smile. "That's what I thought."

"What made you ask that now?" The monster probed.

Ryan chuckled. "Sallie said she wanted to get our own home yesterday."

The guardswoman shrugged like she did not get what the big deal was. "So? Get a place. That hardly impedes anything."

"It's not that simple." Ryan insisted.

Undyne was silent for a moment. He looked up to see the monster staring at him critically. "You're afraid of getting too committed." She stated at last.

Ryan opened his mouth to refute, but in the end he nodded. "I hate putting her down like that, but if there's a chance I still might not come back… I don't want Sallie getting hurt if something goes wrong."

Undyne shook her head with a chuckle. "Kid, you're a little late for that, I think. That girl is more enamored over you than I've ever seen anyone, and I don't think anything you do can stop her from getting hurt if you lost and didn't come back, least of all not having your own place. My advice: don't sacrifice your own happiness for the sake of others'. Life's too short for that stuff." Ryan burst out laughing at the monster's words. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," he told her as he wiped tears from his eyes. "It's just that you sound like you're speaking from experience. So, who do you have a crush on?"

Undyne suddenly looked taken aback. Ryan could have sworn the monster went slightly red as well. She cleared her throat before going on, not answering his question. "You know what? I think I have just the thing to get your head back in the game."

"And what would that be?" Ryan asked letting Undyne change the subject but letting her know he was letting her as well.

"Well," the monster lunged at him, spear thrust out before her. Ryan stepped to the side and then blocked with his sword as the spear swung up towards his chin. She broke off before he could retaliate. "You seem you know your way around that pretty well already." Ryan looked at the sword in his hands, he had hardly registered that he had moved. He let the weapon fall to his side. "I think it's time for step two." The monster went on.

"Step two?" Ryan questioned, puzzled.

"Magic, duh." Undyne told him more than a little condescendingly. "You know, the thing we've been purposely building up to until now?"

"Right." Ryan had been looking forward to hearing that for so long it almost had not registered when she said it. He still had yet to truly test his determination, and this was the only thing he knew would do it. But now that it was finally time, he was unsure of what to do. He raised his sword in front of him again. "So how are we gonna do this?"

"The same way you used to," the monster said simply. "Except now you have a weapon."

"It's been awhile." He reminded her.

"You'll get the hang of it again." Like a bullet, Undyne charged at him once more. Ryan took hold of his power, what he now knew to be his resonance, as an instinctive reaction to the monster's speed. He did not dodge that time. He spun his sword to block the point of Undyne's spear. The two weapons impacted with a concussive force strong enough to kick up the snow around their feet.

That was hardly the end of her attack. Out of the corner of his eye, Ryan saw several ghostly blue shapes materialize around them and he remembered what that meant very well. He formed a shield around both of them, not wanting to waste time being picky while he was out of practice, and a moment later, the monster's floating spears all wrung off the invisible obstacle simultaneously.

"See, I told you." Undyne said, still trying to push her spear through his sword. "Now let's see what you got!" The Guardswoman broke of and spun her weapon in a two-handed grip before coming at him again.

Ryan was letting the initial shock pass. He had forgotten what it felt like to fight with his power. He had barely felt anything from the monster's blow. And if what Undyne said was true, he was even stronger than he was before. He smirked. This time, he ran to meet the monster.

The weapons struck one another, but the force behind Ryan's was far greater and the monster's spear was turned aside with an ease that seemed to shock her and Ryan stepped into her range. He swung his sword to hit home, but realized at the last second that the monster was not going to defend herself; she was not able to defend herself. Ryan had, for the first time, taken the advantage over Undyne. And the attack he was about to land would kill her if he let it.

Within an inch of the monster's armored midsection, Ryan turned the blade so the flat would hit her instead. The impact was still fierce. The metal surrounding Undyne's body rang like a bell and the blow knocked her off her feet, sending her into the trees like a cannon ball. The monster hit one, two, three trees before she stopped. Each erupted into splinters on collision.

Ryan almost went running after her, worried he had still gone too far, but there was a stir amidst the ruin a moment later and Undyne emerged back in the clearing. "That was pretty good," she said, brushing snow off her armor. "I underestimated how much that magic would work for you. But don't think you'll be able to catch me off guard like that twice!"

"Never crossed my mind," Ryan told her as she stepped back up to him.

"So, what is that, a thousand to your one?" The monster teased as they began to circle one another.

"Closer to two thousand, but who's counting?"

Undyne chuckled. "We'll call it one."

The warrior came at him again, clearly making it look like she thought she had him pinned down, but Ryan still had more to bring to the table. He reached for his determination and felt himself swell with power. He took in as much as he thought as he could hold without being swept away by it. The energy inside of him begged to be released, but he kept himself under rein. He stood his ground and waited for Undyne to strike again.

When the attack finally did come, it seemed to him much slower that her previous attempts, but he knew it was only his power. He tried to concentrate on something else besides her movements until they sped up once more. Moving the sword to his left hand, he blocked the strike as it came at him and the flurry of blows that came after. He turned aside every one of Undyne's strikes with an ease that made him want to laugh. Spears began to appear in the air as well, flying at him in ones and twos and he deflected them in turn as well with either his sword or with spell. One or two spears turned into six or more and still he did not have trouble keeping track of all that was going on. He closed his eyes, seeing if he could rely on just his other senses to get him through the rest of the fight. If this was all the monster had to offer, it would not be very difficult.

"You're still not invincible." The words snapped his eyes open; they had not come from where it should have, nor was Undyne where she should have been. He turned and found her in the air over his shoulder, swinging her spear at his head. She seemed frozen there, the blade only inches from his neck, as his senses once again sharpened in his surprise.

He had grown over confident again, and now he had to dig himself out of another hole. He thought of his options, a shield, ducking; it was too late for any of that, the blade was too close. In this state, his mind moved faster than his body or his other magic. What else? He could not die here!

Fire, he realized. Fire magic was much faster than any other. It was his only option. It would knock her back if nothing else and he would hopefully avoid a fatal blow. He fed energy into the spell like a desperate madman, and an instant later, time seemed to resume as he felt all of the built up power drain from him. Then, with a crack, a white lance shot out in front of him across the clearing and into the forest. That was not fire magic. The beam was a good two feet wide and it tore through the forest unhindered by tree or stone. A part of his mind realized he must have fed too much energy into the spell and it had become… something else. Thankfully, by whatever luck seemed to follow him, the bar of light passed by Undyne without hitting her directly, but the thermal shock off it was enough to send her flying once more. The beam faded until all that was left of it was a blue streak burned into his eyes.

Ryan stared at where the spell had hit. A straight line had been gouged through the forest all the way to the base of the plateau a little ways distant where it had drilled through the rock until light no longer reached inside the hole it had carved. Ryan would not have been surprised if it had cut all the way through at that point. Where the tree's had not been incinerated, they were blown outward and looked ready to topple over any minute. Ryan realized his mouth was open and closed it.

Undyne stepped up beside him a moment later looking little less shocked than him; he would have been relived she was alright if he were not still in disbelief at the other sight before him. She was staring out at the damage as well. "We really need to work on your self-control," She said only half-jokingly.

Ryan nodded. It was all he could manage to do in response.

Around the newly cut gap in the forest, the snow had been blown back, piling up around the still standing trees. Near one, the snow shook and an Icecap popped his head out of the mound. After giving itself a shake, it looked over the destruction in horror. Eventually, its head slowly turned to them. The two could only stand awkwardly while the other monster struggled to form words. "What are you doing?" it managed finally.

Ryan and Undyne exchanged looks. "Uh… sparing?" The guardswoman answered uncomfortably.

The monster's expression of horror became mixed with bafflement. "What is wrong with you?" it came out as a moan and it made Ryan want to shrink back.

"Sorry…" he mumbled.

The monster, looking utterly defeated, waddled away to disappear back into the forest, unable to come to terms with what was going on.

"Maybe we should find a different place to train." Undyne suggested.

"Where?" Ryan questioned. "What place in the Underground could we fight in and not cause this?"

Undyne gave him a wry smirk. "I have a few ideas. First, though we should probably make sure no one was hurt."

Ryan winced and then nodded in agreement.

 

He would have never thought about asking Alphys for help, and when it was suggested he realized he did not really want to. Things were not left on the best terms between the two of them, and after so long, he did not think it was a friendship he could salvage at that point. The doctor probably hated him, if he were honest with himself. Mettaton likely told her what had happened when she had been locked out of their fight – and the story was likely heavily dramatized in his favor – so she had plenty of reason to resent him. Actually, she probably thought he was dead. Still, he could not think of anything better, so he agreed to go with Undyne to the lab the next day.

But, for now, it was time to try to forget the events of earlier. He walked into town that evening to be met with the same quiet that seemed to follow him more often as of late instead of the normal bustle he had grown used to until he had left. Monsters were still out and about, but everyone was clustered into small groups in mumbled conversations that they likely did not want him to hear. He suspected he knew why.

Looking over his shoulder, he confirmed that the new cut in the forest was not visible from the town's edge. Though, likely the incident had not been silent nor completely unnoticeable. If anyone asked, he would have some explaining to do. Yet, no one approached him, hardly anyone even turned his way as he passed, but he could feel some of their stares at his back. Especially one, but it was not part of one of the groups, he realized. It came from an alley in between two houses. He turned to catch the gaze only to see a shadow fade out of sight.

Shrugging, he decided to ignore it and continued his way down the street, trying to think of what he wanted to do that night.

"Yo!" A voice came from the alley before he could take three steps. Ryan continued to ignore it. "Yo! What the heck? I had that all planned out!" it went on. "You were supposed to check the alley and I would jump out at you." Ryan still ignored the voice, though a smile crept onto his face. "Come on, I spent a week coming up with that!"

He heard a roar of frustration behind him after another moment. Ryan took a step out of the way and stuck out his foot, tripping the young monster he had come to know in his time in Waterfall. He then reached out and spun lizard so that he flipped over and landed on his back in the snow.

The kid lay there for a moment, stunned, before springing to his feet. "Yo, how did you do that?" he asked him, his face full of wonder.

Ryan shrugged. "Practice."

"So it's true then? You've been training with Undyne?" The young monster asked.

He questioned how and where the monster had heard that, and then realized it hardly mattered. "I have," he confirmed.

The monster bounced and stomped ground in what Ryan thought was frustration. "Yo! Lucky!" He shouted before coming to a stop. Then he was back to excitement. "Can you beat anyone up yet?"

Other monsters in the street were starting to take a visible interest in their conversation and Ryan realized he should probably stop it. The last thing he needed was everyone in town thinking he was corrupting the youth on top of everything else. "I don't know, and I don't really think I want to try." He told the monster, as he attempted to push him down one of the side streets and less out in the public eye. "Where have you been, by the way?" He asked after he thought they were far enough.

The monster's head lowered. "Grounded for running away…" he mumbled, "but I'm free now, and I heard Undyne's been here and that she's been training with a human and I thought, 'yo, dude, that is so cool!' So I had to go see for myself, so here I am!" The monster took a step back and looked him up and down. "You look different…" he commented, then his eyes widened. "Whoa, it that a sword?"

The kid lunged head first toward the hilt of the sword sticking out from Ryan's side, trying to grab it with his teeth. Habitually, Ryan turned aside and grabbed the monster by the back of the head, shoving him face first into the snow. He pulled the monster up once he realized what he had done and set him back on his feet. The monster did not look mad, if anything he looked even more in awe. "You just moved faster than I could see!" he shouted. "You think you could teach me how to do something like that?" The monster kid beamed at him with eagerness only someone his age could possess. The size of his smile rivaled that of **sans** 's.

Ryan looked the kid up and down. "Um… I don't want to say no…"

"Hey! You think just because I don't have arms means I can't do what everybody else can, huh? I'll show you!" The kid charged at him again. Wary of the spikes on its head, Ryan caught it and kept the monster at arm's length. The kid continued to try to run at him despite being thoroughly stopped.

"I'm not a very good teacher anyway." He told the kid while he continued to hold him back. "You'd be better off still trying to go after Undyne, I'm sure she'd be willing." He was fairly certain she would not be, but it would get the monster of his back for the moment if nothing else.

The young monster stopped struggling. He looked up at Ryan. "You really think she would?"

Ryan squatted down so he was level with the monster. "Sure, why not? You've got heart, kid; she cares about that more than anything."

"Sweet! I'm gonna go ask her now!" The kid attempted to bolt towards the forest, but Ryan grabbed him by the tail and pulled him back.

"No, there will be no getting lost in the forest." He told him.

"Then I'll wait until she comes back." The kid told him.

Ryan shook his head. "She won't be back for a while still, and you don't need to get in even more trouble with your parents." Neither did he for that matter. "You're going to go home, and you can try to find her _in town_ tomorrow. Or I'll tell Undyne never to train you."

"Yo, what?" The monster groaned. "Fine…" He slinked off back towards his home on the outskirts of town much the same way the Icecap disappeared into the woods. Ryan realized that seemed to be the theme of the day. He continued on his own way back to Sallie's.

"You look even more spacy than usual." The rabbit monster commented once he was back. The words dragged Ryan out of his head. He had not even realized he was already sitting at the monster's kitchen table. He ran a hand through his hair. He really needed to find someone to cut it. Pretty soon it would start getting in his eyes if he let it keep growing. "Did something happen?" Sallie asked him.

"No," he said too quickly before amending. "Well, yes, but not the way you're thinking."

"So are you saying you have nothing to do with that earthquake the whole town felt earlier?" The question was rhetorical – what else could it have been but him? – so he chose to ignore it. He unbuckled his sword and placed it against the wall before he sat back down at the table. "I ran into someone I hadn't seen in a while is all."

"Oh? Who was it?" The rabbit sounded more than a little skeptical.

"It was…" he trailed off.

"What?" Sallie prodded.

Ryan shook his head, "I just realized I don't know his name… huh." He scratched his chin while he tried to figure out how he had missed that.

"Well, what did he look like?" Sallie urged.

"You should know him, I think; short, yellow kid, striped shirt, no arms."

"Oh, that's MK," Sallie resolved. "Yeah, I haven't seen him around lately either. I wonder where he's been."

Ryan leaned his chair back on two legs and put his hands behind his head. "Grounded, according to him," Sallie gave him a look and be brought the chair back down to the floor. "For running away with me through Waterfall most likely, though he didn't specify."

Sallie put down the plate she was cleaning to give him another look. "Is that who you were talking about when you said you 'had a companion' while running away from Undyne?" The monster shook her head in mock disappointment. "Ryan, we really need to talk about how you influence kids."

"What?" he said defensively. "He was already there when I arrived. Plus if it wasn't for him, I probably wouldn't be here right now." A question sprung to his mind. "What does MK stand for anyway?"

"Monster Kid," she said simply, seeming to have given up her earlier joke.

Ryan raised an eyebrow at the monster. "Really? That's what you call him?"

She shrugged. "It's what everyone calls him; it's what he asked us to call him. I don't remember his real name either, but I remember him saying he hated it at one point."

"Interesting." Ryan thought aloud, "Why do I get the feeling we're going to be seeing a lot of him in the near future."

 

"You expecting something to jump out at you?" Undyne asked with a punch to Ryan's shoulder. Ryan turned back to the monster and it dawned on him that he must have been looking back every couple of seconds since they had left town.

"Not really," he lied as he continued to scan the forest. He had good reason to believe that they were being followed. He and Sallie had gone out later last night and during that time he had found MK sneaking around twice before he was sure he had gone home, and he had had to watch the monster walk through his front door to be sure. He did not expect the monster to give up that easily at all. But, ultimately, he found nothing and he followed Undyne into the cave and out of Snowdin. Hopefully they left too early for him catch them.

 

The young lizard peeked out from behind the tree after a minute or so. The human had almost come very close to finding him out. When he looked out again, he and Undyne had both gone into the cave. The monster's tail flicked back and forth with excitement. He wondered where they were going and why. But wherever it was, he was sure it was super cool!

Sparing a glance back towards Snowdin to make sure no one was coming his way, he stepped out from his hiding spot to follow after the two, only to find himself face to face with someone that hadn't been there a moment ago. "Just where do you think you're going?" The monster said. MK looked him up and down in confusion. The avian monster was covered in blue feathers that seemed to shimmer like ice. He had met Snowdrakes before, but never this one.

The drake stood eye level with him and gave him a look of aggravation mixed with the knowledge that he already knew the answer to his question. It reminded him of the looks his mom would give him when she asked similar questions. MK narrowed his own eyes at the monster, hoping to intimidate him. "What's it to you?" he said getting right in the drake's face.

The other monster did not flinch in the slightest. "You were spying on my friend," he stated, "why?"

MK tried to step around the monster, but the drake mirrored his moves and continued to block his way. "That's my business, and none of yours," he told him, continuing to try to get around, but the other monster would not let up; not cool. He did not have time for this. Pretty soon it would take hours to find Undyne in those caves.

MK jumped back and for a second he saw that the other monster thought he must have won, but then he lowered his head and charged at the drake. He sped towards the other monster at top speed, hoping the drake was smart enough to get out of the way. He did not want to hit him, but there was little he could do to stop himself at that point.

The time when he thought he should have hit the other monster passed and he kept running, unabated. He looked up momentarily and saw he had a clear shot to the cave. Adjusting his trajectory, he tried to get there before anything else could go wrong, putting as much speed as he could behind his run in the snow. The mouth of the cave drew closer and closer and he thought he was going to make it. Then, his face crashed into the ground and he slid, back bent and short legs in the air, until he finally came to a stop and the rest of him crashed down to earth as well. He felt a weight on the back of his head that was preventing him from getting up no matter how much he kicked and struggled.

Then, suddenly he was in the air again, being flipped onto his back to land in the snow once more with another thud. He saw now that it was the drake that had tackled him to the ground and for a moment he was slightly impressed, but he buried that feeling as he tried to get back to his feet again. The other monster still had him pinned, however. One taloned foot pressed down on his chest kept him firmly in the snow and the other held down his tail, cutting off any leverage it would have provided him.

"I don't think so." The drake said, looking down at him. "You need to chill out and tell me what you want with Ryan before I let you go anywhere."

"Ryan?" MK said, confused. "Nothing. I was just trying to talk to Undyne."

The monster chuckled. "And here I call myself a comedian. You really expect me to believe that? I bet you were trying to get to the city so you could rat him out to the king, huh?"

"Nuh-uh!" MK said defensively. "He saved my life! He's my friend. At least I think he is… It has been a while… He might hate me now for all the trouble I caused him… But still, he said he'd help get Undyne to teach me how fight. That's why I was following them." The drake's focus slipped for a moment while he spoke. It was enough; MK twisted to the side and pulled his tail free, knocking the monster off of him as he did. MK then sprung to his feet and made another break for the cave. He made it about six feet before spikes of ice rocketed down from the sky to land in a row right in front of him. MK tried to stop before he hit the sudden wall, but only succeeded in sliding until he fell on his face again.

As he stood up, the drake dropped back down to the ground. MK looked at the spikes that had nearly killed him. They were taller than him and thicker than the base of his tail. "Yo!" he shouted at the other monster. "A bit much, don't you think?"

Snowy shook his head at the other monster. "Sorry, but even if I did believe your story, I can't just let you go after them."

"Come on, really?" MK pleaded, his impatience beginning to overflow. "Don't you want to know what they're up to?" he tried. "I mean, it's Undyne and a human in the same place. That's got to be, like, permanently awesome!"

"I already know what they're doing; they're training, which is all the more reason I'm stopping you. Ryan told me not to go anywhere near the two of them while they were fighting for my own safety."

MK's jaw dropped for a second at the monster's words. "What? That just sounds even cooler! Come on, you're telling me you don't want to see that at all?"

The drake shook his head again. "Want to or not, it's a warning to be heeded. Besides, Ryan tells me everything that happens afterwards anyway. Although, Undyne tells a different story for a lot of it."

"Wait, you've talked to her?" MK asked in disbelief.

Snowy did not really understand the other monster's skepticism. "Yeah, we all hang out like every night."

"Yo!" MK ran up to the drake, thoughts of following after the others forgotten. "What's she like? I only met her once myself, but it was while she was hunting humans in Waterfall, which was super cool. She even touched my face! Has she ever touched your face? Has she ever beaten you up? Does she beat up Ryan all the time? I bet she beats him up all the time."

"You know for someone who's yellow, you sure do go on like you're always green." The drake said, interrupting MK's tirade of questions.

The lizard monster tilted his head in confusion. "What?"

"Nothing? Bad joke? Noted. Moving on, let me see." Snowy looked off for a moment as he thought. "No, I don't think she's ever touched my face specifically; she has not beaten me up but I think she beat up my dad before; and as for beating Ryan up, it seemed like she did at first, but lately it's seemed like Undyne has come back more tired than him. So I think it's the other way around now."

"What? No way!" MK disputed. "Undyne is so strong she'd never let herself lose to a human."

The drake rolled his eyes at him, "Come on, you know the legends, Humans are stronger than monsters by design. Undyne probably doesn't stand a chance now that Ryan actually knows how to fight. Plus, Ryan can use some crazy strong magic. He's even tried to teach me some, so I know how crazy it is."

"Human or not, Undyne can't lose! Besides, she's beaten humans before, otherwise how could the king already have six souls?"

"True, but those humans all had one thing stacked against them."

"And what's that?"

"They're not Ryan." The drake smirked and MK growled in response. "Have you seen him? He can move so fast he practically teleports, he's strong enough to destroy half the forest in a single swoop, and he's smart enough that he learned my resonance magic just from _looking_ _at_ _it_. Face it, there's no contest."

MK opened his mouth to say more, but he was cut off by another voice. "Snowy?" It said, coming from the direction of the town. "Where'd you go?"

"Coming!" The drake called back to Sallie before he turned back towards the town. He spared MK one last glance and a smug smile before flapping his wings to bound away from him.

MK stood rooted in his frustration. How dare he think anyone was stronger than Undyne? She was a hero after all, and the hero always won. The young monster looked behind him at the mouth of the cave where the two had disappeared before running off to follow the Snowdrake. This was not over yet.

 

The familiar red glow announced that they were close to the lab. Ryan looked up, his eye following the outline of the jagged rock up to where it came to a peak. The large towers still stood in the distance, red lit from the molten rock unseen below. He could almost see Undyne standing atop the rock between those towers. "It's amazing how much can change so fast, isn't it?" Undyne spoke up. The monster was looking up as he was. When he turned, she flashed him a toothy smile.

"It feels like a lifetime to me." Ryan whispered, looking back up at the rock, and then added after a moment, a bit louder, "Question: why didn't we take the river boat?"

"Because that monster creeps me out." Undyne said frankly. Ryan could understand that, he shared the sentiment to an extent. Still, he had questions to ask it.

"Different question: Why aren't there any elevators that go to Waterfall or even Snowdin? It would make sense to have them, wouldn't it? Once upon a time I would have thought the biggest issue would be the logistics of it, but, you know, magic kind of throws all of that away, so…"

"There were plans to do that at one point." Undyne told him. "There were plans to incorporate a lot of the technology unique to Hotland to the rest of the Underground. But, then some stuff happened and all of that stopped."

Ryan turned to the monster standing beside him. "Some stuff?"

Undyne shrugged before resuming her walk to the lab. "I don't really know myself." She admitted. "Alphys would know better than me. You can ask her if you'd like, but she won't even tell me what happened, so I wouldn't bet on getting an answer." She turned to give him another smile. "Just another one of the mysteries of the Underground, I guess."

They made their way past the neon sign to the entrance to Hotland. When they stepped out of the cave Undyne quickened her pace in the wake of the heat until they were at the door to the metal box that served as the lab.

Undyne gave the sliding door a knock that seemed to shake the whole building. They waited a moment in silence before a voice came over the speaker next to the door. "What? What is it?" It shouted, sounding scared and nervous at the same time. Definitely Alphys. "I-is something wrong?"

"Alphys! It's me! Open up!" Undyne yelled loud enough to turn heads back in Snowdin; she ignored the intercom completely. There was the sound of a crash through the speaker as Alphys was undoubtedly started by the shout.

Another moment later, the voice returned. "Undyne? What… what are you doing here?"

"What do you mean what am I doing here?" Undyne countered, no quieter than before. "I'm coming to visit my friend. So are we going to talk through a door all day, or are you going to let me in?" Then, leaning over to Ryan she added in a more normal voice. "She gets like this sometimes."

"Oh, I'm aware." He assured her.

"Wait, who's with you?" Alphys called, having most likely heard them quite clearly.

Undyne raised her voice once more. "Someone you know, now open up!"

There was a moment of hesitation, before, "Uh… I'm a bit busy at the moment…"

"So? We won't get in your way."

There was another moment of silence as Ryan doubted the truth behind the monster's statement. He thought he could almost hear someone mumbling in the background that wasn't Alphys. Probably a TV, he gathered. "Ok, one second." The door slid open a second later. "Meet me in the back." The doctor finished before the intercom clicked off.

The two looked at each other confused for an instant, but wasted no time in leaving the volcanic heat behind them. The immense first room of the lab was just as he remembered, if only slightly more cluttered by various wrappers and pieces of machinery that had wires sticking out of them or were dented in some way. The giant monitor against one wall was off and looked dusty from disuse, and the hole in the wall had yet to be repaired. "Which part of this place is considered the back?" Ryan inquired remembering just how big of a maze the lab was.

"I'm pretty sure I know where she is." Undyne said.

Ryan let himself be lead through the hallways by the monster as he tried to think of what he should tell the doctor first. "I'm sorry" seemed the obvious thing, but that hardly seemed enough. Maybe it would just be better to find out what she actually knew before he said anything. There would be no point in destroying a friendship while trying to save it. Eventually, Undyne slowed and Ryan passed her as he was wrapped up in his thoughts.

A little further down the hall he heard a voice he did not recognize at first. "Alphys, darling, I understand that this is all very complicated and delicate, but I'm a very busy robot and so I wondering if we could possibly speed this up just a little bit?" Ryan froze in the hall. He would have turned around if not for the fact that Undyne pushed him on the shoulder to keep him moving forward.

"I'm going as fast as I can, Mettaton." Ryan heard the doctor respond, she sounded as though that was not first time she had to say that. "You know, we wouldn't have to keep doing this if you stopped overexerting yourself and let me actually finish your body."

"Oh, Alphys! Do sense a bit of feistiness in you? Where on earth did that come from? Oh, don't look so embarrassed, you cutie, I love seeing this side of you."

"J-just sit still, please? I'm, almost done." Ryan and Undyne emerged in the room with the doctors last words and cut off whatever Mettaton was about to say next.

The monster's robotic eyes locked onto Ryan immediately, and surprise quickly turned to anger. "You!" he shouted. "You have some nerve. What are you even doing here?" His words then turned mocking. "I thought you had somewhere important to be, or did I hear you wrong before you decided to almost kill me?" The robot stood up from the table he had been sitting on and pushed past Alphys. Mettaton marched up to Ryan with a visible limp from whatever Alphys had been working on.

The robot stood taller than anyone else in his new body, and he tried to use every inch to his advantage to intimidate Ryan. Ryan simply stood there silently. "You ruined my show, ruined my body," the monster went on, "ruined everything! And instead of going off to your death like a good little human, I find you back here, hiding away like a coward."

"Mettaton, that's enough!" he heard Alphys shout.

"I'm sorry." Ryan said quietly.

Mettaton' grinned mockingly. "Oh, you're sorry? Well, why didn't you say so darling? I guess we put all of this behind us now and-" the robot slapped Ryan hard enough to almost make him tumble to the floor.

The doctor and Undyne were between the two of them an instant later, pushing them away from one another. "Come on," Undyne was saying to him while Alphys tried to talk down Mettaton. "Let's wait somewhere else."

Ryan felt his jaw to make sure it was still in place. He looked back up at the robot. "You owe me." He heard Mettaton say. "And I will come to collect." Ryan let himself be led back into the hallway without another word.

"Looks like you made him pretty mad." Undyne commented once she was sure things would not escalate again.

"He has every right to be." Ryan said as he crouched against the wall. "I guess that's what I get for trying to do things differently."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Ryan shook his head to clear it. "Nothing."

Alphys emerged from the room a few minutes later, wiping her hands on her lab coat. "Sorry about that," she said awkwardly.

Ryan got up from his spot on the floor. "No, it's my fault." The two looked at each other silently for a moment, neither sure where to even begin. Sensing the tension, Undyne stayed silent as well, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. "Listen, about what happened in the core…" Ryan began finally. "I take it Mettaton told you?" She nodded, looking away from him. "I am sorry about that." He went on. "After a day of that madness, I let my impatience get the better of me. And at the time I thought… well, I guess it hardly matters now."

Alphys shook her head. "He's fine, and that's really all that matters in the end." She turned back to face him, trying to look friendly but only succeeding in looking more nervous. "I didn't really expect to see you again. When I heard nothing I thought you were dead, and then I thought Asgore was dead and you had gone home, then I didn't know what to think. I certainly didn't expect you to show up here with…" The doctor seemed to realize something then. "Oh, Undyne! Hi! Sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you!" She quickly stammered as she acknowledged the other monster's presence in the room. "What have you been up to? I haven't heard from you at all since…" she looked back to Ryan. "Anyway, w-what brings you here?"

"I need your help with something." The guardswoman told her, glossing over the other monster's stumbling words like she was more than used to it.

"Of course, anything!" The doctor responded quickly.

The other monster took a moment before she began, scratching her cheek. "Well, I guess I owe you a bit of an explanation first, huh?" Undyne caught Alphys up with what had happened after she lost contact with Ryan in the core and about her decision to train him. Meanwhile Ryan watched the door to the room Alphys had come from, waiting for Mettaton to suddenly appear and attack him again. When he did not, he supposed he must have left another way.

"So yeah, for a while now I've been showing our human friend here how to fight so he can survive an encounter with the king and hopefully talk some sense into him." the monster concluded. "Anyway, yesterday that got a bit… carried away and realized we can't really spar wherever we want."

"Carried away?" The doctor asked.

"We almost destroyed half the forest." Ryan admitted, still feeling guilty about that.

"Hey, what's this 'we' stuff?" Undyne questioned as she turned on him. "I wasn't the one who fired some mystery beam out of nowhere."

"Well, maybe if you hadn't gone for a killing blow right off the bat, knowing full well that I did not have control over my powers yet, and made me panic-"

"Hold on, back up. You what?" Alphys interrupted their argument. She looked back and forth between the two of them waiting for an answer.

Undyne shot Ryan a look that told him to shut up. "No one was hurt, don't worry." She told the doctor. "And it wasn't anywhere near half the forest."

"Just about a hundred trees, half a home, and few really scared Icecaps." Ryan interjected and Undyne shot him another look.

She went on as if he had not spoken. "Regardless, we realized a change of location may be beneficial to everyone. So we were wondering if you could use some of your techno-prowess to build us a place we could fight without fear of destroying everything around us."

The doctor blinked, probably still trying to wrap her head around everything she had just heard. "I don't really know what you mean…"

"Well, I may just be pulling terms out of nowhere here," Ryan tried, "but maybe some sort of room with magical dampening abilities?"

The doctor turned to him perplexed. "Is that even possible?"

Ryan shrugged. "You'd know better than me."

Alphys began pacing back and forth between them, a hand to her chin and mumbling something about destructive interference and more that Ryan was either unable to pick up or understand. After a minute she stopped, looked like she was about to say something, then shook her head and went back to pacing. Ryan and Undyne looked to each other and silently decided to wait. "I think something like that may be possible." The doctor said at last.

"Wait, really?" Ryan questioned. "I was just joking, for the most part."

"I mean, theoretically, anything is possible with magic." The monster explained. "A lot of times it just requires looking at something with the right perspective."

Ryan supposed that made about as much sense as anything else under the mountain. "So how would you do it?" he inquired.

Alphys began her way down the hall, and the other two followed on her tail. "I believe it can be done the same way the core works." She stated as she led them to a different part of the lab.

"I thought you said you didn't know how the core works." Ryan mentioned.

"I understand how it works in principle, otherwise I wouldn't be able to keep it running. The thing about it I don't understand is how it operates on such a massive scale with so little outside interference. It's as if the thing had a mind of its own. That, and the fact that it has so many systems integrated into it that have nothing to do with its primary function that I cannot even begin to fathom what they do."

The monster seemed ready to go on forever, so Ryan decided to keep her on track. "So what is the primary function to of the core?"

"Like I said before, it's simple really; the core converts geothermal energy into magical energy then collects and stores it for later use."

"So you're telling me it's a generator that _doesn't_ work by boiling water?" Ryan reiterated.

The doctor turned to him. "Why would it…?"

"No reason. Continue." Alphys led them into room where the entire back wall was made up of a giant machine that had several monitors placed throughout it.

"More so than perspective, often times a lot of magic has been beyond monster's abilities because of the amount of energy it requires. The core was built, originally, to try to allow monsters to surpass that weakness in a way similar to how humans use technology to go above and beyond their own physical limitations. The idea was that, with these huge reserves to pull from, that we'd suddenly be able to do all sorts of things. Have you ever seen the dome above New Home?" Ryan nodded. "That was one of the first tests of the principle, long before the core was ever completed. A much smaller reserve was used to attempt one of the most complicated illusion spells ever attempted by monsters. It proved too much for one monster control on their own. It took thirty to coordinate all of the facets of the spell, apparently, and months to get the timing right. But, still it was done.

"After the core was done we had even more energy to draw off of, and even though there were still limitations we were still capable of doing so much more, but not the one thing we wanted to do."

"Destroy the barrier." Ryan stated. Alphys nodded as she pressed a button on the machine and a keyboard slid out of it. With a few taps, it began to light up with a low thrum of power. There were chairs in the corner of the room and Ryan an Undyne both sat down.

"There is a distinct difference between magic power and soul power, one I haven't even begun to wrap my head around. They work together in some way, but every test I've tried to measure the relations defy all logic. The only thing I've been able to discern for sure is that where one is needed, the other cannot substitute no matter how much power you have amassed. But, we didn't know that at the time. We just kept throwing more and more energy at it thinking it simply wasn't enough yet. That didn't end well… Do you know what happens when a monster tries to use more magic than it can handle?" The question was addressed to Ryan who shook his head. "Good. I hope you never do." The doctor looked away for a moment.

Ryan turned his head to Undyne who nodded, confirming his suspicion that whatever Alphys was talking about had to do with the thing she had not even told Undyne the details of. He did not pry and let the monster go on.

"For a while, I was too afraid to move forward with the research, until I had a breakthrough: I managed to come up with a way for machines to wield magic. These machines could, with a very limited focus, perform any sort of magic without fear of being… overloaded in any way."

"Which is why you think you could make a room to help us train?" Ryan asked.

The doctor looked confused for a moment and then she practically turned red from embarrassment. "Oh my god, I'm sorry, I got carried away, didn't I?"

"No, that was all… very interesting." Ryan said without sarcasm.

"Yes, it is why I think I can do it. But there are still some problems involved with it. The original collection system in the core worked by different means, but when I figured out how to get Magitech working,"

"Magitech?" Ryan interrupted.

"It's what I decided to call it. It's dumb, I know, and I'm pretty sure I stole it from a show but, it works, right?"

He nodded, "It is fitting."

"Anyway, I implemented the core's current collection system using that technology because it proved to be more efficient, so I know how the spell works. The problem is it sucks in all magical energy without any discrepancy, if you were to stand in that, it would kill you within a second."

"You could tie the spells to the walls," Ryan suggested, "limit the range, create a null zone in the rest of the room."

"Therein lies the other problem: the spell is meant to take in _formless_ magic. I don't know how it will react to actual spells, if at all. I'd have to think of several conditions to set in place as well as exceptions so you both don't accidentally disintegrate if you touched the spell."

"So are you saying you can't do it?" Undyne questioned.

"I'm saying it will take some time to work out, but I'm willing to try."

"Then it's settled." Undyne said as she stood back up. "When can you get started?"

"Um… Now I guess…" The doctor looked between the two of them again. "Did you guys need anything else?"

The other monster thought for a moment. "Do you think you could make me another piano?"

Alphys sighed. "Did you destroy another one?" she asked.

"I may have… But it wasn't my fault this time!"

"Hey," Ryan exclaimed. "Don't go pinning that on me. I wasn't the one who set your house on fire."

Undyne made a grunt and shot him yet another look that said to shut up. Alphys rounded on the two of them. "You what? When?"

"A while ago…" The warrior admitted.

"Where have you been staying? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I've been in Snowdin, living in Paps's shed. Come on, please? I haven't been able to play for more than a month and the only other piano is embedded in the wall of a cave and I really don't think I can pull it out without breaking it too."

"I don't really think I should reward you for your mistakes…" Alphys said meekly.

"I'll owe you one." Undyne enticed.

That made the monster perk up. "I did find some new shows for us to watch…" She said softly before spinning around. "There's this one called Knights of Sidonia. It's all about if earth was attacked by these unkillable aliens called the Gauna and they're forced to flee the planet on these massive ships to look for a new home, but the problem is the Gauna seem to be everywhere because they're attracted to the weapons they use to fight them. No, wait, that doesn't come into play until later… But anyway, the main character is kid who's a crazy good pilot of these giant robots so they finally have a chance of evening the odds and fighting back, but everyone thinks that's crazy! So some shady stuff happens and… and…" Alphys seemed to realize what she was doing; she took a step back and shrunk in on herself. "And I'm going to stop talking now before I ruin the whole show again… So, what do you say?"

Undyne looked suddenly nervous. She scratched at the back of her head. "I don't know, Alphys, I've been pretty busy lately… Plus, I'm not a big science fiction fan."

"I'd do it, it's a good show." Ryan added.

"Wait, you've seen it?" Alphys asked, rounding on him.

"I have." He nodded.

The doctor practically teleported in front of him. "Oh my god!" She seemed to be trying to keep her voice low, but that only made it come out as a high pitched squeak in her excitement. "Isn't it great?"

"It is."

"Oh, but there's so many questions! What's that rich kid going to do? And the clone!"

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Wait, how far have you watched?"

"The whole first season."

He smirked. "Oh, the second season is where it starts getting really weird."

"Really? Does it answer a lot?"

"It answers some."

"Of course it does…"

"Fine." Undyne chimed in over there conversation. "I'll watch but you're coming with me then." She pointed at Ryan.

"I'm fine with that." he thought for a moment. "Will there be snacks?"

"There will be snacks." Alphys confirmed.

"Yeah, I'm fine with that."

"Alright, we'll make a date then." Undyne concluded. The doctor jumped slightly at the other monster's choice of words. Undyne did not seem to notice. "For now though, you have work to do, Doc."

"Out of curiosity, how long do you think it will take?" Ryan asked.

Alphys shook her head. "There are too many uncertainties now, once I manage to figure out how it should all work I'll probably need days to test the theory just to see if it will actually work. Then there's actually building it and all of the other work I need to do in the meantime… Two weeks minimum, most likely much more than that."

"I guess that will have to do," Undyne breathed. "And the piano?"

"I still haven't decided I'm going to yet." The doctor teased. "Maybe after we watch a few episodes."

The two were funneled out of the lab a few minutes later. They both could tell Alphys was already wrapping her head around the puzzle they gave her and she was eager to start working on it.

"So what do we do for two weeks?" Ryan asked Undyne on their way back.

"The same we've been doing, maybe with some limited magic. No need to stand idle while we wait for the wall to be knocked down."

"Yeah, but is beating are fists bloody against it really a better idea?" Ryan countered.

"It's always a better idea." Undyne stated. "You never know, we may end up knocking down the wall ourselves."

 

Snowy waited outside Sallie's aunt's store. He did not like going in that place for long. Grillby's was one thing, but somehow that rabbit's store managed to be hotter than a fire monster's restaurant. He was sure there was a joke to be found in there somewhere.

Making a note to try to work it out later, he sighed and thought back to earlier that day. That kid had certainly been strange, and very easily excitable. He was almost positive he had seen him around town before, but not in a while. Was his story to be believed? Was he really just some fanboy of Undyne's trying to use some supposed connection with Ryan as an in, or did he have something more nefarious in mind? He wished they would get back already so he could stop worrying and tell Ryan what had happened. Although, knowing him, he was probably aware of the whole thing already. The man was like a…

A shadowed figure between the houses across from him caught his eye and broke him from his thoughts. It was gone a moment later. He ignored it, remembering how Ryan had taught him to deal with situations like this, though he had honestly never expected to need the knowledge. What was the expression Ryan used? 'Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it,' or something like that. Either way, he was thankful and able to keep his thoughts calm while something was stalking him from the shadows.

Snowy pretended to focus on the snow in front of him while still being able to see the space out of the corner of his eye. He waited for the shadow to reappear and then disappear again. Then, he started to count and stopped when the shadow came once more. He did this once more, to make sure the counts were consistent, and when the shadow disappeared a third time he sprung up from his spot and flew up to the roof of the building next to the alley. If it had worked, then his shadow had not seen a thing.

MK pressed his side against the wood of the building next to him. He peaked out into the street for just a moment to make sure the drake had not gone anywhere. The monster was close to both Ryan and Undyne somehow, which meant all he had to do was wait and they would come to him. He smiled to himself and peeked out at the shop again.

The drake was gone. How did he miss him leave? He leaned further out of the alley looking up and down the street. Nothing.

"So, now you're following _me_ , is that it?" A familiar voice said behind him. MK turned and almost jumped into the street. The drake had somehow gotten behind him.

"How did you do that?" he asked before anything else.

The other monster rolled his eyes. "Wouldn't you like to know? How about you answer my question first?"

"I'm not following you!" MK lied, "I'm waiting for Undyne to get back so I can ask her to train me."

"You're still on about that?" The drake shook his head. "Look, kid, maybe you should give up on that and go home."

"Kid?" MK stepped up to the other monster aggressively. "Who are you calling a kid? I bet I'm older than you!"

"Oh really?" Snowy said doubtfully.

"Yeah, age on three and no lying, ready? One,"

"Two,"

"Three!"

"Twelve!" MK shouted at the same time Snowy confidently said, "Thirteen."

MK ground his teeth in frustration. "That doesn't count!" he argued. "We could still be in the same class at school that close."

"I don't go to school," Snowy said, circling around the other monster, "and it does count so stop being a sore loser."

"What, you don't go to school? Lucky… Hey, wait; I am not a sore loser!"

Snowy let out a laugh. "Yes you are, both after this morning and right now." The drake stopped in front of the monster again. "And let me tell you, Undyne will hardly train you with an attitude like that."

MK glowered at the drake. "How would you know?"

"Because I know how she teaches from what Ryan tells me. And let me tell you, that attitude would not fly with her. But, maybe you could get Ryan to show you a thing or two, I'm sure he'd be more willing."

MK let out a growl. "No!" he held. "It's Undyne or no one. Undyne's a hero! She's stronger than anyone!" MK looked out into the street and saw the monster he was waiting for finally coming down the street. "And I'll prove it to you."

 

The two walked in silence for a bit. Ryan occupied his mind by watching the slow moving stream next to the snowy path as they made their way back to town, until eventually Undyne spoke up again. "What did you do to piss off the robot so much exactly?"

Ryan glanced over at the monster, wondering if she was joking, but the look she was giving him told him she wanted an honest answer. "After losing you that day, I kind of rushed my way through Hotland." He told her. "I may have broken a few things along the way in my impatience, including him. I had my reasons though. I was afraid. I was afraid you would come to your senses and start chasing after me again; I was afraid I would run out of strength and collapse yet again. And I guess I was also eager to be done with everything. A lot of good it did me in the end, huh?"

"Yeah, well, if you took that bot down a peg, then I'd say it was worth it." Undyne said, still more serious than not.

"You sound like you don't like him very much." Ryan said lightly.

"Of course I don't!" she practically shouted. "He stole my best friend from me and then stepped on that friendship just to become famous. Whatever you did, the bucket of bolts probably had it coming."

The two went silent again as they entered the town. Ryan saw Sallie coming out of her aunt's store as they approached. The monster held a basket in her hands and was looking up and down the street. When she found them walking up to her, she looked surprised.

"Where were you two?" Sallie asked, handing Ryan the basket.

Ryan pointed over his shoulder with his free hand. "Over by Hotland, to see Doctor Alphys."

The rabbit nodded. "Oh. Why?"

"To prevent people from asking me about anymore earthquakes," he joked.

"I see." She did not really, but she let it lie. He would tell her later.

"Where's Snowy?" Ryan asked her.

"I don't know, he was supposed to be waiting for me out here." Sallie told them. "He ran off this morning too. I wonder what he could be getting himself into."

"Undyne!" A voice shouted from behind them. MK came running up to them with Snowy trailing behind. Along his way, the monster seemed to suddenly realize what he was doing and got tangled up on his own feet. MK fell face-first into the snow before flipping over and skidding to a halt directly in front of Undyne. Shaking snow off of his spiked head, he looked up at the monster in awe.

"Yes?" Undyne said with a touch of impatience as she gazed down at the monster.

MK snapped out of his daze and used his tail to get back to his feet. "You've beaten up everyone in the Underground right?" He asked excitedly.

"Probably everyone at least once, why?"

"Even the king?"

"Yeah,"

"That makes you the strongest monster, right?"

"I guess if you put it that way, it does."

MK turned to Snowy with a gloating smile. "See? I told you."

Snowy shook his head and made a tsk sound. "Yeah, strongest _monster_ , are you forgetting already that Ryan's a human?"

Undyne and Sallie both looked to Ryan, who merely shrugged in response. "What's this about?" He asked the younger monsters.

Snowy turned to Ryan. "I found him trying to spy on you guys earlier," He informed him. "And now he's trying to claim that Undyne is stronger than you."

"Is that really what you two are fighting about?" Sallie commented.

"I'd say Undyne is stronger than me." Ryan said candidly.

"What?" Undyne shouted. "That's not how this works!" The monster got right up to Ryan's face and poked him forcefully in the chest. "You're supposed to claim that you're stronger! Don't you know how to trash talk?"

"Is that what we're doing right now?" Ryan asked, leaning back as the monster loomed over him. "Well, if you put it that way, I guess you could say it's up in the air because neither of us has fought at our full strength yet."

"What?" Undyne said, even angrier than at his last comment. "You wouldn't even have a full strength if not for me!"

"True, but…"

"But what? You want test it right now?"

"Both of you stop!" Sallie said forcing her way between them. "You're being as bad as them!"

"What did I do?" Ryan questioned.

"Just face it, you're wrong!" MK was shouting at Snowy.

"No, you're wrong!" Snowy shot right back. "Ryan is stronger, he will always be stronger, and you want to know why?"

"Why?" MK humored.

"Because Ryan is the angel from the prophecy! Don't get it? He's the one who is going to set us free!"

"Snowy, that is enough!" Sallie urged the monster, but he ignored her and turned to Ryan.

"Right, Ryan? Tell him…" Snowy trailed off as he saw Ryan's expression. The man looked more than shocked, he looked scared; like a cornered animal ready to spring away at the slightest opportunity. Snowy took a step back involuntarily.

The other monster's looked to Ryan in response. "You alright, kid?" Undyne asked him and he seemed to snap out of his trance. He looked at everyone staring at him. Sallie looked concerned, Snowy looked scared and the other two looked confused.

Ryan pressed a hand to his temples. "Yeah, I'm… I'll meet you at home." He said to Sallie before walking off. The others did not follow him.

MK and Snowy watched Ryan walk away.

MK looked to the others, and realized he should probably go. He kicked the Snowdrake to get his attention. "This isn't over." The lizard said before running off.

"Is he going to be alright?" Undyne asked, referring to Ryan.

"I don't know…" Sallie answered softly, still staring at the spot where his back had disappeared down over cliff.

"What did I do?" Snowy asked, looking up at the other monsters.

Sallie broke her gaze away from the road and turned to the monster. "Nothing," she assured him.

"I'm right, aren't I? I mean, what else could he be?" The drake went on.

Sallie leaned down and put a hand on his head. "Of course you're right, Snowy." The monster assured him. "Even if he doesn't see it yet."

 

He was at the other side of the forest less than a minute later. He stopped in the clearing where he had first met **sans** and Papyrus. The skeleton's sentry station looked like it had not been touched in some time. He had expected as much. "I suppose that was too much to hope." He said to himself.

He continued on to the edge of the dome until he stood before the sealed doors to the ruins once more. As always, he gave it a knock and then waited. And, as always, there was no response. He then tried to pry at it with magic, but once more the doors seemed to almost devour whatever magic he used. "I think someone already figured out your puzzle, Alphys." He thought aloud. "Not that I understand it any better than you do." He looked down at his hand. "The Angel, huh? I don't think I fit the bill. What do you think?" he asked the emblem on the doors. He let the silence of the forest hang for a long moment. "Yeah, I didn't think so."

"What are you doing all of the way out here?" Sallie's voice came from the trees. Ryan turned his head to see the monster standing behind him, concern writ over her face. He must have been gone longer than he realized.

Ryan chuckled at some private amusement. "I come here a lot, actually." He told her "It helps me think, and it helps me reach some sort of calm." He sat down on the snow with his back against the large stone doors.

"Think? That's all you ever seem to do anywhere. What makes this place so special?" She asked jokingly.

Ryan gestured for her to sit down next to him and she did. They both stared out into the forest before Ryan began, "Did I ever tell you where I was before I came to Snowdin?"

"Only in the same vague way you told everyone," she reminded him. "That you came from somewhere around the city. Are you saying you were lying?"

"Not exactly. It was the truth in a way, only everybody thought that I meant New Home and I just never bothered to correct them. But, it was a different city I found myself in when I first fell down here." He pointed behind him at the doors.

The monster's eyes went wide. "The ruins? How? They've been sealed off for decades."

Ryan told Sallie the story of how he had woken up one day in a cave, his arm broken and the rest of him little better; about how he had been found by a kind monster that took him in and treated him like her own. He told her about all of the antics he had gotten into with the residents of the city still called Home by those who made it theirs'. He told her about how he had first been discovered and how his friends had stood up for him much the same way she herself had, and about how, despite all the odds, everything managed to smooth itself over.

"Why did you leave then?" She asked once he had finished. "It sounds like you were happy there." Over the course of the story, Sallie had leaned her head against Ryan. She couldn't remember a time he had talked so much. She honestly enjoyed it.

"Does it matter why I left?" he said. "In the end I did, and that's all there is to it; I can't go back now so it's not really important." He paused. "Besides, if hadn't left. I would have never met you. And that would have sucked."

"It is important, though." She told him, ignoring his attempt to redirect her. "It's the whole reason why you've gone through everything since, isn't it? You can tell the whole Underground that all you're trying to do set us free, but there's more to it than that, isn't there? There's always been more to it than that. What is it Ryan?"

Ryan looked away, whether thinking or simply unable to meet her gaze, she could not tell. "I can't…" he whispered finally.

"You can't what?" she prodded.

"I can't say," he told her

"Why not?" she pressed.

"I can't say," he said again.

"Ryan!"

"I'm sorry! But I can't tell you…" he maintained.

"What do you mean you can't tell me?"

"I can't say!" Ryan growled. Sallie almost sprung back from him. "If I told you, if I told anyone, it would end everything that has been set in motion and I don't know if I'll get another chance."

"That doesn't make any sense." She told him.

Ryan got to his feet and stepped away from the doors. "I know it doesn't make sense. This whole world doesn't make sense." He spread his arms out in gesture to the forest around him. And then after a moment let them fall. "All I can do is try to sift through this mess and try to get the best outcome for everyone." He turned to her before going on. "And all of that relies on the fact that what I know stays with me."

Sallie stood up as well and went over to him. She could not imagine what he thought he needed to keep from her, but she had more than one guess and none of them good. "No matter what it is, Ryan, I won't leave you. And I promise I won't try to stop you. I can keep it a secret, and maybe I could actually help you for once."

Ryan shook his head. "It's not like that. And you've already helped me more than you could ever know. I've told you that already."

That time Sallie shook her head as well. "Sometimes I just don't get you, Ryan. I wish I understood, but I can't because you won't let me in. Is all of this really so important that you can't tell me?"

"Yes," he said looking her dead in the eyes.

Sallie felt tears starting to well up. "How can you say that with such a straight face?"

"Because it's the truth. I'm sorry, but it is." Ryan let out a breath and took the monster by the shoulders. "I have no right to ask you to trust me, Sallie, but please."

Sallie moved closer and buried her head in his chest. She wrapped her arms around him and he wrapped his arms around her. "I do trust you." She told him. "I just wish you didn't feel like you had to keep me in the dark."

"I wish I didn't either." He mumbled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those curious, this chapter is titled after the song by the same name by Mr FijiWiji. It's a good song, I recommend a listen.  
> Until next week, have a good one folks.


	23. Better With Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay. A migraine Friday completely shut me down and I was out paintballing all day Saturday. So this was the earliest I could finish it. I'd like to say it won't happen again, but pinning down what causes these migraines has proved harder than trying to destroy a magical barrier made from the power of seven human souls. I'll do my best, that's all I can say.

"This is the second day in a row your head hasn't been in the game." Undyne was telling him the next morning as she helped him up from the snow. They were taking it a bit easier in training than yesterday to try to save the forest from any further damage but, so far, to Ryan it seemed to be making little difference. Though, he had been surprised to find that saplings were already growing out of the area he had incinerated. He had had all of about half a second to ponder over who or what could have done that before needing to prevent his skull from being caved in, and he had not had a moment of rest since. "Is this still about your girlfriend?" Undyne went on as Ryan shook the snow from his hair. "Will you just get a house with her already? It's not that big a deal."

"Why don't you let MK stay with you once school is out? It can't be that big of a deal, can it?" Ryan returned mockingly, earning him a growl from the monster. "Come on, why not?" he pressed. "You let him stay for a few weeks, show him a couple of things; I'm sure it will make his year."

The monster dropped her eye and pushed Ryan away from her, causing him to fall back into the snow. "It's not that." She said, "I'm just not good with kids."

Ryan certainly had firsthand experience with that. The young monster had cornered them once more that morning as they were leaving. He had been reluctant to go at all, as Undyne insisted that training with magic was still a good idea and he had had yet to be convinced. One close call was one too many in his book so, in a way, he was thankful when the young monster came running up to them just as they were about to make it out of the town.

"Undyne!" MK shouted through the empty town in the early hours of the morning. Ryan could not help but smile down at the monster; his tenacity was starting to warm up on him. He was not lying when he told the kid he had heart. The monster charged up to the two of them, and at the very least succeeded on not tripping over his own feet that time.

The young lizard did not speak right away though, like yesterday he merely stared up at Undyne in awe. "You still want something pipsqueak?" The guardswoman asked first.

MK blinked and shook his head to clear it. When he looked up at the monster again, he looked more nervous than anything. "Oh, well… uh…" He began to stammer before swallowing and shouting, "I was training if you would wonder me! I mean, wondering if you would train me… You know, to fight and stuff…"

Undyne did not answer at first; she looked to Ryan as if to ask if this was somehow his doing. Ryan simply looked away and began to whistle tunelessly. When she turned back to the other monster she said, "Sorry kid, but that's not happening." She turned and resumed her way out of the town, not waiting to see if anyone followed. Meanwhile, Ryan waited to see if that was the end of it.

"Wait!" MK shouted and to both his and Ryan's surprise, she did. "I… I always wanted to be in the guard." MK told her. "I want to get stronger. I want to be a hero, like you."

"Being in the guard isn't play time." She said without turning to face him. "And it's not for kids, trust me. It takes time and dedication. And both are things someone your age just doesn't have."

The young monster was still not dissuaded, however. "Well, what if I stayed with you, while school is out. It's almost done, and I already got permission from my parents to stay with a friend if they'll let me." Ryan briefly wondered if that was true. "If I do, then I'll be able to practice all the time and you can make sure I keep working."

Undyne continued to look away. She remained silent for another minute before, "Sorry kid, I'm not a babysitter," and beginning her way down the cliff once more.

"Oh, come on," Ryan spoke up finally. "You're just gonna shut him down like that?" He questioned gesturing to MK at the other monster's back.

"Let's go Ryan," was all she said to him in response. She did not even bother to stop that time.

Ryan waited until Undyne was out of earshot before saying to the other monster, "I think the whole asking to stay with her part went a bit too far."

MK let out a groan and kicked at the snow. "Me and my big mouth!" he exclaimed.

Ryan glanced back to see if the monster's constant shouting had woken anyone up, but the street remained empty. "Listen, I wouldn't write this off as a loss just yet." He told him, trying to sound confident. "I've learned there's one surefire way of getting Undyne to do what you want."

And so, as Ryan dug himself out of the snow once more, he tested his theory. "So are you saying watching a kid for a few weeks is too tough for you?"

Ryan heard the monster's teeth grind but she looked up at him with her eye narrowed. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing." She snapped at him. "Why are you helping him so much anyway?"

"It's his dream," he told her as he shrugged more snow off of his shoulders, "why wouldn't I help him?" That and he owed the monster more than one for his help in Waterfall. "And as far as I'm concerned, you haven't given sufficient reason yet as to why you aren't."

"I don't need to explain myself to you!" She snapped again. "You know, you've been getting awfully overconfident lately, talking to your teacher like that. Maybe you need to be knocked down a few pegs?"

"You're probably right," he confessed, "but I really don't think we should do it here."

Undyne put a hand to her hip and leaned against her spear. "And why is that?" she asked, dubiously.

"Well, in the two hours we've sparred for this morning, the clearing is now more crater than not," Ryan gestured to the ground around him. A number of large holes in the earth surrounded them, snow mixed with dirt piled up in large mounds around their edges. Even with magic it would take a long time to fill them all back up. "More than one tree is now embedded in the top of the dome." He didn't even want to think about that. "And, not to mention, I received a formal letter from the town last night telling us to stop destroying the forest, and I'm pretty sure you got one too."

Undyne looked around her as well, annoyed and embarrassed. "Alright, you're probably right." Her spear vanished and she began the process of undoing her armor. "Though most of that is probably because you're not focused. What do you think we should to then, Mr. Smart Guy? Because you're not getting the day off."

"I was actually hoping we go see Alphys again." He told her.

The monster looked at him sideways, pausing as she undid a strap on top of her shoulder. "Is what's got you distracted?" she questioned. "I seriously doubt she's finished already."

Ryan shook his head. "It's not that, I have another reason I'd like to go." He explained. "Besides, we did promise to go watch some anime."

 

Sallie stirred as she woke from her fitful dream. Unconsciously, she reached over to Ryan's side of the bed and was not surprised to find it empty. She stayed like that, starring at her hand resting on the empty pillow, for a minute before finally deciding to get ready to start the day.

As she got dressed she thought back on her dream, the details of which were already fading from her mind. It had not been a nightmare, per se, but more of a stress dream where she was once more watching as Ryan walked away from her and into the forest as he had that night when he ran away. She wished she could tell herself that something like that was never going to happen again, but after last night she was not so sure any longer.

Once she was dressed, she pulled the cord on the hatch that lead to the attic and let it open up enough for her to call up it, "Snowy, you awake yet?"

"Yeah, I'm up." The drake called back.

"I'm going out for a bit. You going to be okay by yourself, or do you want to come along?"

"I'll be fine." That was surprising. Snowy almost always wanted to go with either her or Ryan everywhere. She hoped what happened had not gotten to him too.

Leave the monster to his devices, she let the hatch close and went over to draw the curtains back from the balcony. On the street below she caught Ryan walking with Undyne back towards town. That was another oddity. She almost rushed out to ask him where he was going, but stopped herself as she thought back to the previous evening again. Sallie felt her chest tighten as he continued his way down the street and out of sight.

_Why could things never be simple?_ She asked herself. "You could have moved to the city like mom said," she continued out loud. "Met a nice monster, settled down. But no, you fall for the only one in the Underground capable of ignoring his own feelings." If those even are his feelings, a voice in the back of her head teased. She tried to fight it off with a shake of her head, but it would not go away. It did not make any sense, why would he still be with her if those weren't his feelings? But with him you could never be sure.

A weight fell onto her arm and she looked down to find she had somehow managed to tear the curtain from its rod. She let it drop to the floor, unsure what to even make of it. Ryan had vanished beyond her sight for several minutes at that point. With a sigh, she turned away from the glass doors and went to go downstairs. If she were lucky, the one she was hoping to meet would not have left yet. If Ryan would not give her any answers, perhaps someone else would.

 

Sallie was not lucky, as it turned out. She went up to the skeleton's house only to be met with silence as she knocked on the door. Not ready to give up or wait who knew how long for him to get back, she headed out to the forest. She had walked past the skeleton's sentry station trying to find Ryan last night and so she was sure she could find the way again.

While she walked, she tried to figure out how to bring up the subject, though with Papyrus, jumping right into it hardly seemed to matter, but the skeleton was more likely to let something slip if she merely let him go off on his own with a little guidance. She stopped in the middle of the forest as a thought occurred to her.

"Holy crap, I'm turning into my mother…" She said aloud. A white speck fell in front of her eyes and then another. She tried to focus on it but it vanished amongst the rest of the white that covered the forest before she could find it again. Soon more specks fell, though, and Sallie looked up to see countless more falling from seemingly thin air above her. She smiled to herself. Rarely did it ever actually snow in Snowdin, and the residents had a belief that the snow meant that better times were ahead. "Guess I should cheer up then, huh?" She said to the air above her. "Well, let's see how this goes first."

The snowfall stayed light as she made her way up and out of the valley and trees around her began to get shorter and less frequent. Her mood seemed to lighten as she rose out of the forest and immediately dipped back down when she found the skeleton's sentry station empty.

The shabby wooden structure looked like it might fall apart at any second but it was clear of snow as if she had only just missed the monster. She let out a breath. There was no point in going looking for him; he would likely end up heading back to town before she found him. She decided to wait.

A short ways away the plateau dropped off to the rest of the forest below. Sallie sat down and looked over the trees as the snow continued to fall around her. She was reminded of the time Ryan had brought her to that cave filled with crystals, how the light shimmered and bounced off every surface. She was almost sure she could find it again from where she was. But even if she found it, she knew very little in the way of magic and would not be able to recreate the scene. Besides, it would not be the same without him anyway.

The sound of crunching snow from behind dragged Sallie from her thoughts. She turned to see Papyrus walking up the path behind her. The skeleton looked slightly surprised to see her, she supposed he did not get many visitors out this far.

"Greetings, Sallie." The skeleton said as she stood up from the cliff.

"Hey, Papyrus. What were you doing?" Sallie asked to make conversation.

Papyrus pointed over his shoulder as he answered. "I had to check on Mr. Lazybones's station, of course, otherwise it would fall to ruins." The skeleton let out a breath. "I don't know how my brother ever manages to function on his own sometimes… But, that aside, what brings you out here?"

Sallie gave the forest once last glance before answering. "What do you know about the ruins, Papyrus?"

"You mean the old city?" The skeleton brushed a gloved hand across his chin as he thought. "The same as everyone else, I suppose; that it was where all monsters lived in the beginning, and that it was sealed off some time ago for reasons unknown. Why do ask?"

"Ryan said he used to live there for a time." Sallie explained. "Did he ever mention that when you first met him?"

"I can't say he did, no. Ryan did not say much of anything when we first met." The skeleton admitted.

"Figures…" Sallie said to herself.

"Did something happen?" The skeleton asked. "What brought all of this up?"

Sallie thought about how to answer that question. "Have you ever wondered why Ryan's is doing what he's doing?"

"Not really, why?"

Sallie frowned, of course he did not. "He says he wants to save us, but he's never explained why. You've never wondered what his reason was?"

Papyrus walked up next to her and joined in looking out over the forest. "It's because he cares about us, isn't it?"

"True, but it's more than that. He felt that way before he knew any of us. Ever since he left the ruins he's been trying to get to the king to try to save us." Sallie reached her hand out and watched as flakes began to gather in her palm. "And yet, from what he's told me, he would have been better off if he never left. I just don't get it."

A silence hung between the two monsters for a moment. Sallie watched the snowflakes start to melt in her hand. "When I first met Ryan, it just seemed to me like he was trying to run away." Papyrus told her.

Sallie nodded. "Something happened while he was in the ruins, something that made him leave the life he had there and come here, but I don't know what it is."

"So, ask him." The skeleton reasoned.

"I have asked him." She stated. "He says he can't tell me or the universe will explode, or at least that's how he makes it sound…"

"I'm sure there's a reason if he's keeping it to himself."

Sallie looked up at the monster. "But what if it's something bad?" Now it was out, the heat of her worry over the whole matter, she did not want to think about what that meant if it turned out to be true.

Papyrus looked away for a moment as he tried to come up with and answer. "If it is, would that change how you see him?" He asked finally.

"Of course not," she told him resolutely.

"Then why does it matter?"

The question caught Sallie off guard; she had not thought of it like that. It _did_ matter, she did not like having secrets between them, but he would tell her eventually, when this was all over. She could wait until then, she was sure. And whatever it was would hardly change things between them. At the end of the day, she still loved him and he still loved her. He did, she was sure of it.

"It sure is beautiful when it snows, isn't it?" The skeleton asked absently.

Sallie threw her arms around the monster. "Thanks Papyrus, you always know how to make people feel better."

 

"I still think you should watch MK once school lets out." Ryan told Undyne as they made their way through Waterfall's caves once more.

"You're still on about that?" the monster shot back at him. He was almost surprised the light of the water beneath them did not shrink away from her gaze, but he stood his ground.

"You haven't said yes yet." He reminded her.

"Well why on earth do you think I would?" Undyne criticized. "Do you honestly expect me to train him? For one, I have my hands full as it is with you. Second, he's too young to start yet anyway."

"I thought you started when you were nine?" Ryan disputed.

"That was a special circumstance." She said in a tone that told him to drop the subject. "And they soon decided never to do it again."

Ryan looked off in thought at the crystal encrusted roof of the cave. "I guess you have a point," he said absently. "Still, I don't think it's an answer the kid will accept. He'll probably just sneak off every day and follow you around regardless of what you say. In that case, wouldn't it be better if his parents had at least some idea of where he was?"

"If he sneaks off, then I'll kick his butt all the way back home until he learns his lesson." The monster countered.

Ryan shook his head. "I don't think that's the right way to go about it at all. You don't need to actually teach him anything either. Like Papyrus, I doubt he'd know the difference. Just give him enough to satisfy and keep him busy with trying to trying something difficult but harmless. That's what I've been doing with Snowy."

"If you're so sure that will work than why don't you take him?" She questioned.

"Because he doesn't want to be trained by me, he wants to be trained by you. And because you came up with that entire argument in the time it took us to walk here, so I'm still half-convinced that I'm making some sort of progress with this."

"Well, think again, because I'm not taking him." The monster affirmed.

"Fine," Ryan kept on. "If you won't then perhaps Sallie and I will. I doubt she'd have a problem hosting one more, and that way you'll have to deal with him on a day to day basis anyway."

"Sallie thinks her house is crowded enough as is, based on what you've told me." She reminded him. "And if that's how everything ends up, then I'll just scare him off."

Ryan chuckled to himself. "Yeah, that will work." He said sarcastically.

 

The snow was done by the time Sallie made it back to town, but it had definitely left its mark on those now out and about. Everyone seemed happier than she could remember seeing in a long time. Most even gave her a smile and a wave as she passed, which she was more than happy to return while she tried to figure out what to do with the rest of her day.

Her help was not needed at the shop that day, so she decided to head to Grillby's for a little while and absorb some of what other's thought the good omen meant for them. Along the way, something crashed into the side of her leg with an _oof_ nearly causing her to tumble into the snow. As she caught herself, she looked down to see the familiar face of a young lizard monster with his eyes squeezed shut and shaking his head. As he looked up at her he quickly looked away, embarrassed.

"Sorry," he said softly. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

Sallie knelt down to the monster and put on a smile, trying to ignore the pain in her leg. "And just where are you off to in such a hurry?" She asked him.

The monster went from embarrassed to nervous in a flash. "Um, nowhere…" he said, still not meeting her gaze. "Just heading home."

"Oh?" Sallie said, playing along for the moment. "Are you sure you weren't trying to sneak off to find Undyne?"

The monster practically jumped out of his scales at her words. "H-how did you know?" He stammered and then something seemed to come to him. "Wait, I recognize you. You were with that Snowdrake! Did he rat me out again?"

"You mean Snowy?" Sallie asked.

MK stomped the ground in anger and finally looked up at her. "Yeah! Tell him to leave me alone. I don't go rubbing my nose in his business all the time!"

The monster made Sallie giggle. "I'm sure he had the best intentions at heart." She told him.

"No! He's annoying." MK maintained.

"Then I'll be sure to tell him. But first, why are you trying to go after Undyne exactly?" Ryan had neglected to tell her that part, but she thought she had a good guess as to why.

The monster went back to looking embarrassed before answering. "Look, don't tell anyone this, but I kinda goofed up…"

"How so?"

"I… kind of asked Undyne if I could live with her over school break… And so I was going to find her to clear that up."

"Why would you need to do that? You live just outside of town."

"I don't know…"

A thought occurred to Sallie. "Is it because Snowy is living with Ryan and me?"

"No!" MK said defensively once more looking up at her. Sallie held his gaze for a moment and his eyes dropped. "Yes…" The monster looked off for another moment until he snapped to her. "He's getting trained by him, isn't he? Why else would a Snowdrake be living in town? It isn't fair!"

Sallie giggled behind her hand again. "Snowy's circumstances are… a bit different from yours." She explained in an attempt to appease the monster. "And a little advice, the two things that will always keep you from what you want are jealousy and envy. It's more important to focus on what you want than what someone else has. You don't need to be living with Undyne to be taught by her." Though she hardly understood why the monster would want her as a teacher in the first place. Then again, she's crazy, violent, and strong; everything kids love to look up to. Perhaps if she had another student to look after, she would be a little easier on Ryan with her attention split.

Sallie smiled at the young monster again. "How about I get you a soda or something and we'll wait for her together?" she offered. "I'll even help you figure out what you should say to her.

MK perked up instantly. "Really?"

"Sure, come on." She stood up and the young monster fell in beside her. The two entered the restaurant and took a seat at one of the booths near the windows at the front. Sallie went up and bought drinks for her and the other monster and went back to the table.

"Do you want to hear about the time I first met Undyne?" MK asked her.

"Sure," Sallie told him.

"So, I was in Waterfall, right? And I hear Undyne is chasing after a human…" Sallie tuned out the monster's words after a minute while still making it look like she was paying attention. Her eyes landed on one of the monsters sitting at the bar, though she looked far too young to be there. The monster was made up entirely of green fire and she wore the school uniform used in New Home. Sallie wondered what she was doing there; a friend of Grillby's? The monster turned to Sallie all of the sudden and locked eyes with her before she could look away. The fire monster smiled before turning back to the bar.

_What was that about?_ She asked herself.

 

Alphys lit a small flame and let it float in the middle of the small box she had constructed on the desk. The box was open on the side facing her and she pulled her hand away from it quickly once the fire had formed. Sliding her chair over to a computer on the other side of the room, she typed in a command and looked back to the box. Its outside was made of polished metal and was nothing special, but the inside surfaces were made up of grids of small panels that lit up as the machine powered on. The light grew brighter until the walls of the box looked like solid squares of white. Everything seemed to be working so far.

She looked back to the computer to check her data. All of the energy levels were stable, and there was no measureable interference from the walls interacting with each other. She looked back to the box. The small flame she had made still danced in the center. Sliding closer once more, she slowly moved the flame toward the back of the box. When it was about an inch from the wall, the flame seemed to be sucked into it, disappearing into the light. Alphys waited a moment, staring into the now empty box, before jumping out of her chair. "It worked!" She exclaimed.

Then, the machine started to whir softly and she looked at it curiously. "What the…?" The wiring became louder and suddenly there was a pop that made Alphys hop back and cover her eyes. When she looked back, the light in the box was gone and all of the panels that covered the inner surfaces looked like they had shattered. With a sigh, the doctor went back to her computer to see what had happened.

Scrolling through the lines of the log, she whispered to herself, "Still haven't figured out how to get rid of the feedback loop…"

"So I take it progress is being made?" Ryan's voice came from over her shoulder and she nearly latched onto the ceiling. Turning around, she saw both him and Undyne standing behind her.

"H-h-how did you get in here?" She asked in her shock.

"Your door broke." Undyne told her, smiling as if proud of that fact.

"I did not break it this time." Ryan added.

"I did," Undyne declared.

"Yeah, she did."

"Wha… Why are you…?" The doctor struggled, still heavily startled.

"Here?" Undyne finished. "Well, you said you wanted to hang out, right? So here we are!" The monster gestured with her arms spread out. "Plus, I think Ryan wanted something." She added as an afterthought, gesturing to him with her head.

Still half in a daze, Alphys turned to the human. "What is it?"

"I know we've already put quite a bit on your plate," he began as he fished into his pocket. "But I was wondering if you'd be able to do something else for me." He held out his phone to the monster who looked at it blankly.

"Your phone?" Alphys asked, confused. "Is it broken again?"

"No, actually I was wondering if you could build another one for me."

"Build you another?" The monster echoed, not quite understanding.

"Yup, an exact copy. Well not exact, some stuff can be felt off of it, the gun and the jetpack for instance."

As his words finally came together in her head, Alphys finally snapped out of her shock. "Wait, seriously?" The doctor almost sprung to take the phone from his hand. "Not that I'm saying I won't, but why?"

Ryan smiled. "It's a surprise for someone. So is that a yes?"

"Of course!" Alphys looked at the phone almost reverently. "Wow, where do I even begin?" she whispered to herself.

"Hold on," Undyne spoke up. "I'm lost here. It's just a phone, right? What's the big deal?"

Alphys turned on the other monster, appalled. "Undyne, you don't understand. This phone is leagues ahead of any other technology we have down here and it doesn't even use magic. The processing power, its speed, even its storage surpasses all of the computers I have in my lab combined! And it fits in the palm of my hand! If I can figure out how to replicate this technology… Anything I can learn from it will jump us ahead decades. Just imagine the possibilities!"

Undyne continued to look down at the monster blankly. "I don't see it," she said after a moment.

Alphys looked like she was ready to go on another one of her hour long explanations, so Ryan cut her off. "While I have no problem with you taking your time to learn anything you can, replicating takes priority. I kind of need this on the quick side."

"How quick?" Alphys asked, looking back to him.

"A week?"

The doctor's eyes widened behind her glasses for a moment. "I-I don't know if I can manage that." she admitted quietly. "Not on top of the other stuff."

"If it pushes back the other thing then so be it. This is more important."

"Hey," The other monster chimed in. "What makes you think you get to decide what's more important?"

"Because if this doesn't happen, we'll have a lot more to worry about than finding a place to train, trust me." He explained to the monster. "Any more than that, I can't say."

"And why not?"

"Because if I told you it would stay a secret for all of ten minutes once we get back to Snowdin."

"That doesn't mean you get to-"

"Actually, Undyne?" Alphys interrupted. "What I could learn from this would probably speed up work on the room by a lot. It's proving to be a much greater hassle than I originally thought, and one of the main things is too much happens for me to keep track of and try to compensate for too fast. And I simply don't have the capabilities to improve upon the technology we already have. Actually, if it hadn't been for this, I probably would have told you it was impossible in another day or two…"

The guardswoman looked between Ryan and the other monster before realizing she was beat and looking away angrily. "Fine," she conceded.

"Look at it this way," Ryan told her. "Now you'll have more time to think about taking in MK over break." He smiled back at the monster's scowl.

"Wait, you're what?" Alphys inquired, clearly panicked by what she was hearing.

"She's going to be letting a kid stay with her while she gives him some training for a while." Ryan said before anyone else could get a word in.

"I am not-!" she began to yell at Ryan before turning to Alphys and saying in a much more controlled voice, "I am not doing that."

The doctor sighed. "Oh, thank God."

The other monster stopped what she was about to say next and blinked down at the doctor. "What's that supposed to mean?" she questioned.

"Well, I mean, come on. You with a kid?" The doctor let out a chuckle before going on. "That just sounds like something that should never happen."

"Why would you say that?" The monster questioned. If Ryan did not know any better, he would have said she was hurt by Alphys's words. "I deal with immature brats every day." She glanced over to Ryan who merely smirked back at her.

"Be that as it may," the doctor went on, "Actually looking after a kid is another matter entirely. And for the sake of that kid, it's a matter that should never come to fruition."

"Why is that?" Undyne continued to question. "Do you think I can't handle it?"

Alphys shook her head as if wondering why she was even still humoring the thought. "What does it matter? You already you weren't doing it, right?"

The monster blinked as if caught off guard "Yeah…"

"Good. As for you," she turned back to Ryan, "for the sake of the kid's livelihood, you should probably stop trying to push this on her."

Ryan looked up at Undyne, his face betraying no emotions. "Fine," he said, "I see your point."

"Alright then. Sometimes I wish I knew what was going on around you two in Snowdin, but then you start going on about stuff like this and I'm too afraid to ask." She chuckled to herself again. "Come on Ryan; let's go work out the details of this phone thing."

Nodding, Ryan let the monster lead the way out of the room. "I might be able to help explain how a few things work." He told her. "At least in a general sense. Enough to find your own way from at least. Aside from that, I only need a few things left off of the copy."

Alphys paused outside the doorway and peeked her head back in. "You coming, Undyne?"

Ryan realized the other monster was still standing in the room, looking at nothing. "You go on ahead." She said. "I'll wait in the lobby."

A few minutes later, with the details worked out, Ryan and Undyne were on their way back to down, the doctor saying she had far too much to do now to watch shows that day though Ryan had remembered to bring it up. All for the better, he guessed. He could tell Undyne was not really in the mood at the moment. The monster kept silent and staring straight ahead as they walked back. It was not until they were about half way until the monster finally spoke up.

"Do you know when the kid's break starts?" she asked, and then added, "It's only just a couple months, right?"

"Does this mean…?" he asked in return.

"I'll talk to his parents once we get back. I still think this is a bad idea though."

Ryan smiled to himself. "I knew you'd come around."

The monster punched him in the arm a little too hard for him to think she was not angry with him. "You planed all that out, didn't you?"

Ryan laughed. "No, I am not nearly that smart." Still, it did end up working in the end.

 

"… but I tripped and fell off the bridge," MK was still going on from his seat across from Sallie. To her, it barely seemed like the monster had taken a breath since he began. Perhaps giving him soda had been a bad idea. She had been trying to pick up some of the other conversations going on throughout the restaurant. Most of the talk was about how they thought the snow meant that Ryan would be leaving soon and it put a heavy dampener on her mood. "Luckily I was able to grab onto something with my teeth before I fell too far." The young monster continued, unaware Sallie was not even pretending to pay attention at that point. "So I'm hanging from the ledge, Undyne's on my left, Ryan's on my right… Hey! Hey, Ms. Sallie. They're back!"

Sallie focus snapped back to the monster and it took her a second to realize what he had said. Looking over her shoulder out the window, she caught sight of Ryan just as he walked by. MK was up and running for the door before she could say a word so Sallie grabbed her coat and followed after.

A quick glance up and down the street told her that the monster had already followed after the other two who were heading in the direction of her house. "Undyne!" MK shouted after the monster as he ran down the street, kicking up the fresh snow with every step. The two both turned as he and Sallie caught up to them. Ryan gave Sallie a smile and a curious raise of the eyebrows before turning his attention back to the other monsters.

Undyne looked down at MK and smiled. To Sallie, that smile looked all too sinister. "Hey, I was just about to go looking for you." She told him.

"Yeah, I wanted to apologize for what I said this morning and…" MK began before realizing what she had said. "Wait, you were looking for me?"

"Yeah, I've decided I will teach you a thing or two over break. You could even stay with me if you'd like, well, stay with Papyrus maybe…"

The young monster beamed up at both Ryan and Undyne turning his head back and forth between them with a smile almost as wide as his head. After a moment he let out a high pitched noise of excitement that made Sallie wince.

"I will say this again though: this training is not for kids. It is not to be taken lightly, and you are most likely not ready for it. Don't expect to last more than a week before you have to go home." Undyne held up a finger before going on. "I'll give you once chance to say no now and still let you join the recruits in the city in a few years. But if you start now and then drop it, I'll never show you anything in the future. Do you still want to give it a shot?"

"Heck yeah!" The monster shouted without hesitation.

"Good. Then let's go tell your parents." Undyne began walking in the direction of the town's edge without saying goodbye to either Ryan or Sallie or even turning to look at them. MK chased after her once he remembered how his legs worked.

Sallie stepped up to Ryan and joined him in watching after the two. "Does she really think his parents are going to agree to that?" she asked him.

"Oh, there's not a chance in hell of that happening." Ryan agreed. "But I'm just surprised things got this far. I with the kid luck, however things end up."

"So, the rumors are true," said a voice from behind them as it emerged from Grillby's. The two turned and Sallie found the green fire monster she had seen at the bar stepping up to them. She was looking up at Ryan with an air of satisfaction. "There is a human among us." She finished

She stepped closer, ignoring Sallie completely, to stand right under him. "I was hoping it would be you," she added.

Sallie immediately did not like this monster and how familiar she was acting towards Ryan considering she had never even seen her before today. She was on his arm a moment later. "Ryan, mind explaining who your friend is?" she as she gave the other monster a look that told her to back off.

"Ruby, right?" he asked the fire monster who nodded in response. "I ran into her while we were both trying to escape from Hotland." He explained

"By the way, again, thank you for that." Ruby interjected.

"That brings you a little far away from home, doesn't it?" Sallie asked the other monster, trying not to let any of her irritation leech into her voice. The girl had not moved back in the slightest; she had not even looked at her.

Ryan leaned down to Sallie and whispered in answer, "She's Grillby's daughter." Sallie looked back up at him in disbelief. She had known the monster practically her whole life and she had no idea he had a kid.

"I am," The monster confirmed. "As to why I'm here, I was thinking of staying here with my dad while school was out." _Oh joy,_ Sallie thought. "You see, I had my suspicions when we first met that you were a human, and when I got here and found that a human was the only thing everyone was talking about I knew I was right."

"You had suspicions?" Ryan questioned and the monster nodded again.

"Humans are a great interest to me, so I know more than most monsters what they look like, even if they are hiding their soul." Sallie noticed Ryan automatically bring up a hand to cover his chest. "I've always wanted to study them, and so I couldn't pass up this opportunity." She explained. "I was hoping to run into you so I could see if you'd be alright with me asking you some questions from time to time once I settle in. I promise anything said will stay between you and me. I can see that you're more or less hiding out here, and I won't pry as to why. My dad trusts you, so I do too."

Ryan opened his mouth to answer, but Sallie beat him to the punch. "And just why would he agree to that exactly?"

The fire monster turned her gaze to her at last. She looked Sallie up and down and seemed to find her wanting. Her eyes lingered on her arms wrapped around his longest of all. "And just who are you, exactly?" She asked, somehow managing to make that sound cordial.

Sallie felt Ryan tense before he answered. "Right… Ruby, this is Sallie. She is my girlfriend, and I totally did not just forget to introduce her."

Sallie stepped between Ryan and the monster and held out her hand. "It's good to meet you," she managed to make sound just as friendly. After the slightest hesitation, the fire monster extended a gloved hand to shake. The monster was wearing one of the thickest coats Sallie had ever seen, but her legs were bare aside from knee high socks. How the monster was not miserable standing outside she did not know.

The two of them held each other's gaze for another moment before letting their hands drop and Sallie returned to Ryan's side. "So about the questions?" Ruby pressed.

Ryan shrugged. "Sure, I don't see why not."

Sallie made the move to protest, but the other monster cut her off. "Excellent." She announced. "Until then." The fire monster almost ran back towards the restaurant and was inside before Ryan could even say a word of goodbye. Perhaps she was more affected by the cold than she let on.

"What's so funny?" Ryan asked her and Sallie realized she was laughing softly to herself.

"Nothing," she told him as she tried to regain control over herself, "just trying to imagine Grillby as a father."

"Yeah, I had trouble believing it at first too." The two turned and began to make their way back home.

"Why would you agree to that?" Sallie asked before they made it back. "She goes to school in the city, one slip and your cover is blown, even if it's by accident."

"To be honest, I'm more worried about pissing off Grillby than anything. He seems like the kind of guy that would be very… supportive of his daughter." Sallie realized there was some merit to his words. Grillby was a monster very capable of tossing anyone across town if they got on his bad side. She did not doubt he could stand toe to toe with a human as well, even Ryan.

As they made their way upstairs, Sallie found her mother waiting for them in the kitchen. Draped over the table was one of the curtains from their room which she was mending. Sallie clenched her jaw at the sight and knew that it had not escaped her mother's attention. "Well, well," she said as she looked up from her work and saw them enter. "It's very rare you two return together. Did you have an interesting day?"

"Actually, we just met up." Sallie clarified before she could start delving deeper into a matter she would rather avoid at that moment. "I noticed you went into Waterfall again today." She directed at Ryan. "What was that about?"

"Just another trip to see Doctor Alphys." He answered simply.

"Same reason as yesterday?"

"No, different reason." He told her. He took off his jacket and threw it into their room before taking his sword off and placing it against the wall.

"And what would that be?" Sallie prodded.

"Nothing really." He said after a moment.

"Does it have something to do with what we talked about yesterday?"

Ryan looked to her before chuckling to himself. "No, it doesn't. Don't worry."

"I can't help but worry when it comes to you, Ryan." She told him. "If it has nothing to do with it, then why won't you tell me?"

"Because, it's not important." He affirmed.

"If it's not important then why won't you tell me?"

"Does it really matter?"

"Yes it matters!" She shouted and Ryan froze on his way behind the kitchen counter. "I'm sick of dancing back and forth around truth, Ryan. Do you think I like the fact that you're keeping secrets from me? I was willing to accept it once, but that doesn't suddenly mean I'm going to let this be a regular thing."

For a moment, Ryan simply continued to stand there, his damned face completely unreadable. Then he leaned onto the counter and let out a breath. "I don't know what to say…"

Sallie shook her head. "I don't believe you." She said before grabbing her coat and storming out of the house.

"Sallie wait!" Ryan called after her, but it was too late.

After a drawn out silence, Sallie's mother, still sitting at the table, chuckled. "I hope whatever it is you're keeping from her is worth it, boy." Sallie's mother said. "For all our sakes."

...

The days that followed, if Ryan had to put a word to them, were dull, but dull in probably the best of ways. Training had tapered off to nothing until Undyne finally admitted they should just wait until Alphys was finished or risk the town's wrath. Sallie seemed to be avoiding Ryan whenever possible, but she hid it very well when being in the same room could not be helped. Still, Ryan did not press her, not yet.

Having nothing better to do, he and Undyne ended up going to see Alphys nearly every day to watch shows or simply hang out in general. Ryan had questioned how the constant interruptions would be delaying her, but he soon realized that if they had not come to make her take a break, she probably would have never stopped. He knew monsters did not really need to sleep, but he also knew that doing so had its benefits and he worried what its lack was doing to the doctor.

That evening, however, he found himself with Snowy in his room above Sallie's house. The monster had really made the attic his own; Walls of ice divided the space up into smaller rooms connected by tunnels that ran between them. The one they sat in was the largest by far, taking up half of the attic's space, and it was empty except for them. Snowy had set the space aside for learning magic, something he had taken a great deal of interest in since moving in with Ryan, and Ryan decided there was no harm in trying to show him what he could.

The young monster was just beginning to get the hang of wind magic. He stood in the center of the room trying to form a small twister over the floor. So far, he had succeeded twice in the past hour, and both times he had lost hold on it almost instantly. But he was making progress, and so he was not about to give up.

Ryan sat at the edge of room, his head in a book he had read a good three times already, and waited for the next question Snowy would ask to try to better understand what he was doing wrong. Based on the number of frustrated grunts he heard since his last question, it would not be much longer. He lowered the book to see the monster with his wings to his sides, staring through the floor as he was deep in thought. He looked like he was breathing heavy. "Maybe you should take a break," Ryan suggested. For a moment he thought the monster would refuse, but eventually he walked over and sat down next to Ryan, still looking lost in his thoughts. "Something on your mind?" he asked. Snowy shook his head, his plume of feathers moving out of sync with the rest of him. Ryan did not buy it for a second. "Come on, out with it."

The monster was silent for a moment still. "Ryan," he paused in hesitation, "about what I said the other day…"

"About me being 'The Prophesized Angel'?" Ryan interrupted. "Don't worry about it. It just caught me off guard is all. I'm not mad or anything."

"But, aren't you? The Angel, I mean." The monster looked up at him hopefully and it brought a pang of guilt to Ryan's heart. He closed his book at set it down next to him with a sigh.

He took a moment to figure out how to word what he should say. "I guess, depending on how you interpret it, I could be. But I don't think I am, no."

The monster stood up and turned to face him. "But who else could it be? You're a human from the surface that's trying to figure out how to destroy the barrier so that monsters can go free. How is that not the angel from the prophecy?"

"Because that's the problem with prophecy," he explained. "It's all a matter of how you look at it. The same could be said for the king, couldn't it? He was alive to have seen the surface, and he's also trying to destroy the barrier. Couldn't that just as easily make him The Angel?" The monster's gaze dropped and though it pained him to crush his hopes, Ryan went on. "You see? It's purposefully vague so that you can't know what it really means. Now, some think that's so no one can change fate, others believe it's just so it has a higher chance of being right. Either way, it's not something I would put a lot of faith into.

"I'm not saying I couldn't be the one in the prophecy; I can't concretely prove one way or the other, but I'm not the first human to fall into the Underground, and if something goes wrong, I probably won't be the last. If you think that I'll be the one to do it, that's fine. But I'd rather it be because you believed in me instead of some fortune that could have been given by a loon for all we know."

That garnered a chuckle from the monster. "I think I see what you're saying."

"Good," Ryan said rubbing his head. "Hungry? You've been working pretty hard today."

"Are you ever going to show me how you're able to go so long without eating now?" the monster asked.

Ryan inhaled through his teeth at the monster's question. "I don't really think that's a thing I could teach."

"Why?"

"Because I don't really understand it myself." He explained.

The monster chuckled again. "Well, you should probably work on that then."

Ryan found himself laughing as well. "Oh, believe me, I have been."

...

"What do you think we should watch next?" Alphys asked Ryan as they walked through the halls of the lab. The last few days had been like a trip through time for him, going through several different anime he had almost forgotten existed, including several that were not the kind you watched with other people, let alone Alphys and Undyne. It had been an interesting time to say the least.

"I don't know; we're running low on the ones that you have that I know." Ryan answered. "Why don't we let Undyne pick one?"

"She'd probably just pick Bleach again…" The monster said almost morosely.

"Again?" Ryan said disbelievingly.

"Yup…" she maintained. "She's made me watch the whole thing through three times already.

Ryan stopped and did the math in his head. "That's over a hundred and forty hours of anime one time through."

"Have you seen all of it?" The doctor asked.

"Yes I have." And he was sure whether to be proud of that fact or not. He supposed that explained where Undyne got some of her craziness as well as some of her misconceptions regarding how life on the surface works.

The two reached the end of the hall and a door slid open for them. In the center of the room beyond, sat what he had been told was finally ready, and not a moment too soon. "There you are." Alphys said as she gestured to a table. On top sat his phone, looking no different than it had before he had handed it over to her, and next to it sat an exact replica.

He picked up both and turned them on. They were the same to a t; same background, same passcode, same files – that would have to be changed a bit – and most importantly: the same music. "You've outdone yourself Alphys." He told the doctor as he placed both of the phones in the pockets of his jeans.

"Thanks," the monster said with an awkward smile. "I probably wouldn't have been able to it without you help in explaining what a lot of it did. I had no idea the infrastructure of computer components could be so… intricate.

"The only thing I'm mad about was that I didn't get a chance to look through the code of it at all, I only had time to copy it all over. I saved a good deal of it, so I'll be able to give it a look later. Anyway, everything from the original is there, minus what we talked about.

I didn't look at any of the personal stuff, I swear."

"Don't worry Doctor, I trust you. And thanks, Alphys. This means a lot." The monster smiled at him again. "Did you take the stuff we discussed out of mine too?"

The doctor suddenly looked awkward. "About that…"

"Alphys…" Ryan began. "We've been over this: I don't need a gun in phone anymore."

"Actually, it was Undyne who told me to leave it in. She said it was good to have options in a fight, even ones you're sure you'll never use." Ryan sighed and the monster went on. "I did alter the makeup a bit, though. I made it a bit more wieldy now. I understand you've taken to fighting with a sword so you can carry it in one hand now."

He sighed again. "Fine, I guess I've lost this one. Welp, I gotta go give the other one to who it was meant for."

"I should warn you," the doctor said, stopping him before he could leave. "The replica isn't actually as fast as or as powerful as the original – I don't think I could ever make a processor that intricate – though I've done my best to supplement the difference with magic. But since I don't yet know how everything works one hundred percent, somethings might not work as intended."

"I'm sure she won't notice the difference." Ryan told her, patting the replica phone in his pocket.

"So it's for Sallie then?" Alphys inquired.

"Hopefully."

 

Ryan knocked on the door though it was already open. He waited out in the hall until a defeated "come in," answered him. Sallie was lying in bed with her back to him. She had a book in her hand which she did not put down as he entered.

Walking around the bed he got down to his knees and plopped his arms and head down on the bed. The monster finally lowered the book and looked at him. "What?" she asked, clearly wishing he was somewhere else.

"When was the last time we went on an adventure?" he asked her, smiling excitedly.

"An adventure?" Sallie asked in return sounding more like she did not hear rather than did not understand.

"Yeah, like the cave with the crystals, remember?"

"I remember." The monster still was not giving him anything. Her eyes were back on the book, which at the very least she did not put in front of his face again.

"How about we go on another one?" He tried anyway.

"Why?" The monster questioned.

"Why not?" He hardly thought he'd need more explanation than that. Mad at him or not, he knew how much she enjoyed their trips. And before long she was up and putting on a coat.

She turned back to look at him in the doorway. "Well? Are you coming or not?" She still sounded mad at him, but at least he was getting somewhere.

 

"Have you ever been in Waterfall?" Ryan asked her once they were close to the edge of the forest.

"Not very deep." Sallie told him. The monster still refused to look at him.

"Well, it's possibly the largest treasure trove of wonders I've found down here so far." Ryan went on. He had decided to try to find one of the caves he remembered seeing the first time he had run through it. He could think of no better place for what he had planned.

The two stepped into the cave and were silent until they made it into the first cavern. Ryan stood at the edge of the cliff overlooking the cascading falls and Sallie stepped up behind him. "So, how do we get there?" The monster looked down over the cliff anxiously.

"Actually that's the first complication," Ryan explained. "I've only ever been there once and I was kind of being chased at the time."

"So how are we going to find it then?"

"Don't worry; I'm an expert at retracing my steps." He told her with a confident smile.

The monster looked up at him skeptically before turning and walking towards the start of the path down. "Where do we start then?"

"Well, that day, it started like this." Sallie realized that Ryan was not following her and turned just in time to see him jump from the cliff and disappear below it. Letting out a scream, she ran back to the cliff. The sight of Ryan falling back first with his eyes closed came back into view. In her panic, Sallie saw no way to save him. Seeing no other option, she jumped as well.

Reaching out futilely, she let out another scream which made Ryan open his eyes. The man looked up at her, first in confusion and then worry. He spread his arms out and he suddenly rushed up to meet her and he wrapped himself around her screaming form as she clung to him in desperation and fear.

They hit the water with a muted crash. Sallie shut her eyes and waited for something worse to happen. After a moment Ryan began to move and she continued to hold on to him. Before she knew it, they broke to the surface and were on the ground at the edge of the pool. Sallie let go of Ryan and plopped down on the ground where she stayed for a good minute just panting away the whole event.

Ryan walked into her vision and knelt over her. Grabbing her shoulders he tried to lift her up but she struggled from his grip while trying to punch him in the face. She only succeeded in knocking him in the chest a few times which only produced laughter from him. "So I take it you're okay then?" He asked, trying to control himself.

"You are such a jerk!" She shouted at him.

"I didn't think you would jump after me like that." He said in his defense, still laughing between his words.

Sallie, now sitting up, looked down at the state she was in. "Now I'm soaked." She groaned. Standing up and moving further from the water she took off her coat and started to wring it out as best she could. Suddenly, a gust of warm air whipped around her, nearly knocking her off her feet before another from behind caught her and kept her standing. The wind continued for another moment before vanishing as quickly as it had come and when it was done she was perfectly dry. She turned to a smirking Ryan still standing by the edge of the water, just as dry as she was. "Wow, you're actually useful for once." She joked.

Ryan put a hand over his soul and bent over in mock pain. "Oh, you wound me!" he cried dramatically.

Sallie chuckled and walked back over to him. "Oh, I'll wound you a lot more than that." she warned.

The mishap did not end their journey. The two continued their way deeper into the caves, Ryan needing to stop and think on occasion but never needing to backtrack, until they finally arrived at the one Ryan was hoping to find.

The floor of the cave was almost completely filled by one of the glowing lakes prevalent throughout the region. A wooden dock wound around its edge connecting it to the adjoining caves. Tall grass and other plants grew up from the ground along the outside of the dock, but the lake itself was empty and still. "This is it." Ryan announced. Sallie could have sworn there was just a touch of relief to his words, but she did not call him out on it.

Sallie walked out onto the dock only to find that Ryan was once again not following her. He was looking off at a patch of ground beneath him, he seemed puzzled by it. She walked back over to him. "What are looking at?"

"I think I see something right there," he explained. "Do you see that?"

Sallie looked down at a patch of grass he pointed to and saw nothing. "No?"

"Wait here a second." He told her before jumping off of the dock to the ground below. The wet ground squished beneath his feet as he landed and went over to where he had been looking. He sifted through the grass for a moment before looking back up at her with a grin. Reaching down, he pulled something out from behind it and held it up to her. "Well, would you look at that." he said as he showed it to her.

In his hand he held a picnic basket. Sallie rolled her eyes. "You had all of this planned, didn't you?"

Ryan jumped back up to the dock and took her hand in his. "I can neither confirm nor deny my genius, as that would be biased." He said as they went to the edge of the dock that overlooked the water and sat down with their legs dangling over the side.

"You're humility aside, what made you chose this of all places?" Sallie asked him. They had passed through several others that were similar enough.

"This reminds me something from before I fell down here." Ryan explained. "A long time ago I used to live by a lake that had a dock going around it like this. Every time my friends and I got together we would always end up sitting on that dock in the middle of the night, drinking and just… feeling at peace. Even when I was running away from Undyne I felt at peace here."

"It's probably magic of some sort." Sallie joked.

"It very well might be." Ryan agreed with a chuckle. "But peace was what I was looking for today, for sure." He stared out over the water for a moment before going on. "Sallie, I'm sorry for all of the crap I put you through. If I knew of a better way I would take it in a heartbeat."

Sallie let out a breath and looked at her reflection in the water. "I can't say that I like it but, I'm dating a human in the Underground. I half expected secrets and confusion and frustration, that's part of any relationship really. And I do trust you, Ryan, and will continue to trust you." She reached over and put her hand on top of his. "Was this all for an apology?"

Ryan rocked his head to the side as if he had to think about it. "No, not entirely." He admitted.

"Well, then why?"

"Why don't I tell you after we eat?"

Slightly confused but willing to go along with it, he opened up the basket and began to lay out the contents between them. The last thing she pulled out on made her more confused. "I think you dropped your phone in here." She said, holding out the black rectangle for him.

"Nope, it's not my phone." He said, pulling his phone out of his pocket to show her.

She looked at the rectangle, confused. "Then whose…?"

"Happy birthday." He said and Sallie looked back up to him.

The rabbit monster struggled to find words for a moment. "How did you…?"

"Did you think your mom would let me forget?" he said before she could finish.

"When did you…?"

"What, did you think we did nothing but watch TV at the lab every day?" He winked at her. "And before you ask, yes, that was what I was keeping a secret."

Sallie looked at the phone in disbelief. "It has all of the music that mine has on it. I made sure that was priority number one." He explained.

Sallie could not even begin to wrap her head around how happy she felt, not just for the gift but for everything that Ryan had done. She had not even told him her birthday to try to make up for forcing him into his own, and yet. Once more, she was reminded of why she had made the choice to be with him, of why she put up with all of the struggle and the headaches. It was for moments like this when he made her feel like the happiest person in this world.

"Ryan, I…" At that moment, Sallie realized something. He had been back for months and she had not told him she loved him yet. She had said it to the whole town in near hysterics, but she had yet to tell the one person that really mattered. How could that have slipped her notice? She had spent weeks questioning whether he felt the same when he did not even know how she felt. Surely he knew though. No, she had to say it, or else she'd never know for sure. "I love you."

The words came out with a quiver and she hated herself for it. Ryan looked her in the eye and, for a moment, his shock was plain. She held his gaze and soon she saw his shock melt away as he became sure she was serious. Then she could not tell how he was felt. She almost began to worry until his lips were suddenly pressed against hers. The unexpectedness of it nearly made her pull away, but Ryan's hand was behind her head before she could and he held her there. They seemed to stay like that forever, and when Ryan finally pulled away it did not feel like it lasted nearly long enough. "I love you too." He told her.

The words were barely out of his mouth before Sallie's was pressed up against it once more. She moved closer to wrap her arms around him, knocking over the contents of their picnic in the process; she hardly noticed.

The snow had been right. Things were going to get better after all.

 

While Ryan was off gallivanting with his girlfriend, Undyne decided it was a good time to check up on Alphys without his interference. The captain knocked on the door to lab and tried to put up with the heat for just a few moments longer. There was no answer; she was kind of getting sick of that.

Reaching out, she ran her hand along the wall around the door. It was cool despite the heat around it. After a moment, she picked a spot, pulled her hand back, and jammed it straight through the metal of the wall. Pulling her hand back out, she brought several wires with her which she tugged until they ripped apart in a shower of sparks. The door slid open a second later and she stepped inside.

The lights were off. Undyne clapped her hands and they came on all at once. The door slid shut behind her and she gave a satisfied nod. "Alphys!" she shouted, "It's me! I'm here for my piano!" There was no response. The laboratory was big, and there was any matter of rooms the doctor could be cooped up in, but she had always seemed to hear her before. Where could she be?

Before she started looking, her eyes went to the enormous monitor Alphys had set up in the main room. Unlike the usual camera feeds it displayed, lines of green text flew up a black screen faster than she could read them. In one corner there was a model of a cube. Its sides would periodically light up in patches of color as it slowly rotated on the screen.

A door opened behind her and she turned away from the screen. Alphys stepped into the room and jumped as she saw Undyne. "There you are!" The guardswoman exclaimed, practically running up to her. "Where were you?"

"Me? Oh, I was just… in the bathroom." Alphys pointed at the door behind her.

"Was that always a bathroom?" Undyne asked as she looked to where the other monster pointed.

"Of course, what else would it be?" Alphys said nervously.

Undyne thought of questioning it for a moment, but she knew Alphys found some of the strangest things embarrassing, so she let it lie. "What're you doing over here?" She asked instead, going back to the monitor. Talking about her science always got Alphys to open up.

"Running through one last set of tests on your training room." Alphys explained. "What I learned from working on Ryan's phone was a big help, just like I thought."

"Why's it all lighting up like that?" She asked next, pointing to the spinning cube.

"Because I realized I was presented with a rare opportunity. Magical energy has always been incredibly hard to quantify after it has been made into a spell. Of course we know that there's a loss, but that doesn't really tell us enough. How much of a loss is there? Is the loss different for different spells? With this room, and thanks to Ryan's ability that you told me about, I can measure the in and out of his spells just about as accurately as anyone could I think using the isolated magical field that the room creates."

Undyne nodded in understanding. "You're trying to see if there's any sort of set ratio between magic in and magic out." She summarized. "If there is, then we'd know exactly how much energy we'd need for practically any spell beforehand. There'd be no waste, especially in your machines. Pretty useful information." She turned back to Alphys and gave her a thumbs up. "Good thinking, Doc."

Alphys smiled, slightly embarrassed. "At the very least I hoped it would help us avoid… another incident."

Undyne had been half-hoping she would bring that up, it made her next question seem less out of the blue. "Hey, Alphys," she began. "Have you been doing alright lately?"

"Uh, I guess. What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean you've been kind of secluded for a while. Like more so than usual ever since around the time Ryan first showed up. I miss you."

"Oh, I'm sorry." The monster said awkwardly. Work's been… kind of consuming me lately."

"Well, we should hang out more, like we used to before all this craziness started."

The doctor rubbed her hands together nervously. "Yes, we should. It's just…"

"Just what?" Undyne pressed, cocking her head to the side.

"I've just been really busy."

"With what?"

"Nothing, really…" Alphys admitted. "Nothing of significance anyway."

Undyne reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "Alphys, what's wrong?"

"Nothing more than usual." The doctor sighed. "You wanted the piano, right? It should be done, let me check real quick."

Undyne grabbed the doctor's arm as she turned to go. "Alphys, talk to me."

"That's the problem, there's nothing to talk about."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I haven't done anything!" She shouted. "Do you have any idea how stressful it is being the only one left here?" Alphys shouted. "Most days I feel like the entire Underground is waiting, counting on me to figure out some way to break the barrier. And yet I'm no closer to a solution than when I started. Everything I try is a failure."

The monster took off her glasses and wiped her eyes before continuing. "Asgore used to call every day to ask if I had anything yet. I hated hearing the disappointment in his voice. Now he hasn't called me in forever. I've let him down so many times that he doesn't even bother anymore. Just like I've let down everyone else."

Undyne got down on one knee so she was eye level with the other monster. "Alphys, you haven't let anyone down." She told her. "You need to stop beating yourself up like this. Don't take this the wrong way, but breaking the barrier was not something anyone actually expected to you to accomplish. Yo were given a task that was thought to be impossible from the start. And if your experiments only confirm that suspicion than that's not your fault. And you don't need to feel like you're alone here. You have me, heck you even have Ryan, and we're both willing to help you any way we can."

Alphys's expression only turned more grave as Ryan's name was mentioned. "Actually, Undyne, I wanted to talk to you about him. Do you really trust him to do what he said he would?"

"I have no reason not to, why?" Undyne questioned.

The monster stood back up and let Alphys lead her to a different part of the lab. "He's hiding something from us, from everyone."

"Yeah, and?" Undyne countered. "He's a human. He probably has a few things he'd like to keep to himself in regards to that. I don't see how its anything bad based on how he's behaved so far."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Alphys went on. "Undyne… he has pictures of the queen. I found them on his phone while I was replicating it."

"Pictures of the…" Undyne echoed in disbelief. "How could he…? Why would he…?"

Alphys shook her head in answer. "I don't know, but I sure can't think of anything good."

The two stopped in the hallway neither wanted to break the silence that followed. "Does he know?" Undyne asked next, suddenly very serious.

"No, I didn't tell him."

"Good." Undyne told her. "Keep it to yourself. We'll sit on this for a while and see what happens. I hate to think that you're right about this Alphys, but I can't see anything good about this either."

The two entered a room through a doorway that was larger than most of the rest in the lab and the lights turned on to reveal a grand piano sitting on a circular dais. Several dozen mechanical arms hung immobile above it. "Looks like it's finished." The doctor said. "You remember the route out for something that big right?"

"I do," Undyne told her as she stepped up onto the dais and ran a hand along the polished black surface. "Alphys, back to the other matter, Ryan's not the only one hiding something from me. You are too."

"What do you mean?" The doctor questioned.

"I mean, there are very few monsters that have need for a bathroom, and you're not one of them."

Alphys then looked ready to run away all together. "It… I…" The monster stammered. Then, as she realized she had been caught, her whole body seemed to slump and she turned away from Undyne. "Sometimes I just need a place to be alone." She said finally.

"I thought you said you were sick of being alone."

"Undyne, please…"

The warrior stepped down from the dais and closer to her friend. "I'm sorry, Alphys, I'm not trying to be rude here, I'm just really confused."

"It's complicated…" Alphys muttered.

"Then uncomplicate it!" The monster shouted. "I may not be as smart as you, but I do understand this stuff. But I can't do anything if you won't talk to me!" Undyne realized she was yelling and pressed a hand to her head to calm herself. "How did it get like this between us, Alphys?" She asked the doctor quietly. Silence hung in the air afterward. "Life was a lot easier before humans started showing up down here, wasn't it?" She joked, chuckling dryly. Alphys kept her back turned, still saying nothing. "Alphys, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I've been too busy lately to have time for my best friend."

The doctor shook her head. "That's not your fault." She told her, still with her back to her.

"It is though, and it was both wrong and rude of me. Let me make it up to you. Ryan's off doing… something, let's watch some shows, just us, like we used to."

"I can't." The monster told her. "I still have too much work to do."

"Come on, you can't take a break?" Undyne pressured. "Even though we've seen each other almost every day this past week, I still feel like I've barely spent any time with you at all, and I want my friend back. So what do you say?"

The monster shook her head again. "I'm sorry Undyne, but not this time."

"Why not?" Undyne continued to argue.

Alphys finally turned to the other monster and Undyne saw in her eyes an anger she did not know the doctor was capable of. "Because I don't want that anymore!" she shouted before she could stop herself.

Undyne looked shocked then she stared at the floor. "I see… I guess I'll go then." The monster went back to the dais and lifted the piano over her head and turned to the door.

"Wait, Undyne, that's not-!" The doctor started.

"Best of luck in your research Doc, I'm sure you'll prove yourself wrong sooner than you think. I'll be back with Ryan tomorrow."

The door slid shut behind the monster, leaving Alphys with even more things left unsaid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music for this one is Better With Time by Grabbitz.  
> So, originally, my plan was to try to get another chapter of Chara's story done for next week, but now I think I might do something a bit more… Spook Month-y… I don't know, we'll see how it goes.  
> Until then, have a good one folks.


	24. This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race

Snowy sat resting on the ledge of an open window overlooking Snowdin's main street. Sallie and Ryan's house had never been the most ideal for a Snowdrake, but he was able to make it work for himself. He had grown more accustom to higher temperatures overtime but they still made him feel somewhat sluggish and uncomfortable if he stayed in them too long. Having his own room helped, but he hardly wanted to stay cooped up in there all day.

The young drake stared out in the direction of the entrance to Waterfall, waiting for Ryan to return for the evening. It was usually all he did on the days Sallie had to work. Much of the town no longer wanted anything to do with the group of them. They all just caused trouble, according to them. Well, they were not wrong, and plus, he didn't need them. They'd come around eventually anyway; he'd put money on that.

A silhouette in the distance caused his hopes to rise. As it came closer to town, though, it resolved itself into the familiar shape of Papyrus and he settled himself back onto the windowsill. Then his eye caught another figure with the skeleton. The other shadow was barely up to the monster's knee and Snowy squinted against the dimness to try to make out more. By the time the two were at the town's edge he knew exactly who the other monster was and it made his feathers want to stand on end.

It was that lizard kid from a few weeks back. What was he doing with Papyrus? Had the skeleton caught the creep spying on his friends too? Snowy could just hear the two talking as they approached Papyrus's house but not enough to make anything out. His confusion only grew as he watched them enter through the front door and the town was silent once again.

Spreading his wings, Snowy floated down from the window and across the street to where the Skelebro house stood. He stepped underneath one of the ground story windows and tried to listen to what was going on inside.

"The shed is only one room really, so I don't think Undyne will actually let you stay _with_ her; however we do have a couch." He heard Papyrus say.

"He's staying here?" Snowy whispered to himself in disbelief as he stepped back from the window. "How did he talk them into _that_?"

"Talk who into what?" came Ryan's voice from above him which made Snowy jump. Both he and Undyne were standing in the street behind him, looking down at him curiously. He had not heard either come near.

After his surprise passed, the monster's agitation returned. He looked up at Ryan and said, "that kid from before is back and he's in Papyrus's house. The one who was trying to spy on you guys."

Undyne rolled her eyes while Ryan had a sudden look of understanding. "Oh," he said. "I was wondering when he was gonna get here."

The drake looked at him sideways. "You were?"

"Yeah, I was the one who set it all up because _someone,_ " he looked to Undyne, "proved incapable and nearly scared his parents half to death."

"You _what_?" Snowy exclaimed, his ire rising as the man spoke.

Ryan looked back to the drake, his confusion now mirroring that of the monster's. "I figured you'd be happy about this." He said. "You seemed to get along great the last time he was here."

Snowy gaped up at Ryan in incredulity. "Are you kidding me?"

"Undyne!" another voice exclaimed before the two could say anything further. Snowy turned to it. MK stood in the now open doorway of Papyrus's house, a mixture of triumph and excitement coating his expression. As soon as he saw the monster, he leapt straight at the guardswoman head first. Snowy watched as Undyne caught the monster by the neck of his shirt with little difficulty and swung him up so he was eye level with her. She glared at him with her one eye while MK looked back nervously as he dangled from her grip. "Y-yo… what's up?" he stammered.

The larger monster simply continued to glare at him for his words. Then a second later Undyne's face split into a smile. "I like your spunk after all, kid. You could give Ryan here a lesson about enthusiasm."

MK's eyes glossed over in euphoric glee. "Cool," he squealed.

"Come on, kid, let's see what else you've got." Undyne swung the half-pint monster over her shoulder like he was a gym bag and the two entered the house. MK stuck his tongue out at Snowy before the door slammed shut behind him.

"I knew she'd come around." Ryan said proudly.

"Is he really staying here?" Snowy asked him.

Ryan looked down at the monster. "Yeah, why?" he asked, but the drake merely groaned in response.

The door opened once more and Papyrus stepped out into the evening from a cacophony of things being broken behind him. "They seem to be going at it already." Ryan commented.

"Ah, yes. I remember my first day of training." The skeleton said nostalgically. He actually sounded like he was looking forward to the days to come. Snowy could not understand it. "Undyne's methods have only grown more precise over time; plus, he has me to train him as well. Fear not, Ryan. The boy is in the best of hands." The monster gave the two of them a thumbs up.

"You have my complete trust, Papyrus." Ryan told the skeleton as he slapped him on the shoulder.

Papyrus nodded and opened the door again. Snowy thought he could see smoke coming from inside that time and could feel his hope for the future dimming by the second. The door closed behind the skeleton and it was silent once more.

"I don't envy him." Ryan said.

"Which one?" Snowy shot back.

"Both of them." The two turned away that den of bad decisions and began their way back to their own home. "Be glad you ended up with me and not her. I don't think I could even put up with that." Ryan added casually as they crossed down the street.

"Oh, believe me; I am." Snowy said. He paused for a moment. "Hey, Ryan?"

Ryan stopped as well and turned to the monster, one hand in the pocket of his jeans and the other on the hilt of his sword. "Yeah?"

"What are you going to do, when we get out of here?" Snowy asked nervously, remembering the last time he had brought something like this up.

Ryan gave a chuckle and shook his head. "I haven't really given it much thought." He admitted.

Snowy swallowed and asked, "Can I still live with you when we do?"

Ryan blinked at the request and then gave it some thought. "If that's still something you want to do then, sure. I don't see why not."

"Sallie too?" the drake went on.

That time Ryan laughed fully. "I don't know. She may be a bit harder to convince." He joked.

Snowy laughed as well. "You may be more right than you think. I heard she didn't have the best of mornings."

 

What had started off as a good day for Sallie was effectively ruined by the sight of green fire standing outside of Grillby's as she returned from her aunt's. The rabbit monster nearly groaned in response to the sight. She had been hoping this day would never come. All thought of trying to avoid the other monster was ruined as she turned to her almost as soon as Sallie saw her, like she had been able to sense her presence.

Sallie quickly realized that was not the case. The young fire monster was looking up and down the street almost desperately. It was a wonder she was even outside at all. Grillby almost never left the restaurant except to open or close, and she suspected that no amount of layering would help one who had born and raised in Hotland.

When she locked eyes with Sallie, however, the monster seemed to straighten out almost instantly, dismissing her discomfort as if it never existed to her. As she walked up to Sallie, that composure did not diminish.

"So you came after all?" Sallie asked. It was not at all welcoming.

"I told you I would." Ruby said in response. Sallie was impressed that her voice did not shake at all. The monster tried to make herself look taller than she was, but she still had to look up at Sallie. The effect was also largely diminished by the multiple coats and pants she wore. Steam seeped out of any space it could find between the layer and it made Sallie think of a roast fresh out of the oven. "So, where is the human today?" She asked next, cutting right to the heart of the matter, likely in an attempt to stand there as little as possible.

Sallie stared at her for a moment before answering, hoping to crack the other monster's composure. "He has a name you know." She said in response.

"Ryan, right," Ruby said, beginning to show a measure of impatience, but it was gone by her next words. "Is he around at all?"

Sallie shifted the basket she carried between her hands, taking a deliberate moment to look the other monster over again. "Shouldn't you be inside?" she asked instead of answering. "This cold must be killing you."

Ruby actually managed a smile. "I'm quite fine, actually."

Sallie tried to put on her best concerned expression. "Are you sure? Maybe you should wait in your father's restaurant. I think I remember him saying something about what this kind of weather does to him. I don't remember what it was specifically, but it made me understand why he almost never leaves the place at least. And if he's lived here longer than I've been alive I can only imagine how much worse it must be for someone like you who just got here."

"I said I'm fine!" Ruby snapped as her composure shattered. Sallie was certain that if the monster had teeth she would have been grinding them. "Do you know where he is or don't you?"

Sallie almost smirked, almost. "And why do you want to know so badly?"

"Like I explained when I was here last time, I have some questions for him, is all." Ruby said, regaining a measure of her patience. "Is there any particular reason why you're trying to keep him away from me?"

"Because I don't like you," Sallie said frankly, hands to her hips. "The last time you were here you only looked at him like a kid with a new toy they couldn't wait to smash to pieces. I don't you anywhere near Ryan."

The fire monster was shaking now. Whether from the cold or from anger, Sallie could not tell, but it made her happy either way. It was gone just as quickly as the first time, however, and the monster was once more all contented smiles. "I understand that you are in some sort of relationship with the human, is that right?"

Sallie almost snorted. "Yeah, you could say that." She said condescendingly.

Ruby walked up until she stood just beneath the other monster. "Then let me remind you that, while you may think you have some measure of control over what he does or who he does it with, it really isn't up to you." The last part was whispered, and then the fire monster smiled up at her once more. "See you around!" She said as she turned and walked back towards her father's restaurant. It was a brisk walk, but she still walked.

Sallie stood in the street staring at the monster's back trying her best not to grind her own teeth before stomping off down the street as well. She wanted be home, where she could be angry without giving that girl the satisfaction.

 

"There you are!" Sallie exclaimed as she practically leapt into Ryan's arms as he appeared at the top of the stairs. Snowy had to flap his wings to keep himself from tumbling off of Ryan's shoulder.

"Hi, it's good to see you too." Ryan said, slightly confused. "Was there another rumor going around that I was dead today or something?"

Sallie pulled her head up off of Ryan's chest and looked up at him disappointed. "What?" she asked. "Is it wrong for me to be excited that my boyfriend is home?"

"No, but this is a bit…" Ryan trailed off.

"Much?" Snowy tried.

"Unexpected," Ryan finished. "Especially since I'd heard you weren't having the best day."

Sallie's brow lowered in perplexment. "Who told you that?" Sallie inquired.

Snowy raised a wing and the other monster shot him a look. "You seemed pretty angry at something when you came back this morning," he defended. "How was I supposed to know it was a secret?"

"Well I'm fine," she told them as well as silently informing them that that was the end of the matter. The rabbit monster turned to go sit down at the table and Ryan followed. Snowy jumped off Ryan's shoulder to sit on the table while Ryan took the chair next to Sallie. Ryan leaned back in an attempt to get comfortable and Sallie scooted closer to lean against him "So how was your day?" she asked him.

"Exciting," he told her. "That room Alphys main is definitely something."

"So you've been saying." She chuckled.

"Still haven't destroyed it?" Snowy asked him jokingly.

"I am pretty convinced now that it is impossible to destroy that thing," professed Ryan, "at least with magic."

"Well that's good." Sallie commented. "Maybe now the town will finally get less angry at you two."

"Yeah well, knowing them, they'd just find another reason to be mad." Ryan looked off for a second before standing up from the table. "Enough about that. Are we going to Grillby's again tonight?"

"No," Sallie said a little too quickly and then added. "I think just the three of us should do something tonight." There was no way she was going to that bar tonight. Perhaps not ever again!

That time it was Ryan's turn to look disappointed. "Oh, but MK just got here today."

His words made Snowy perk up. "I am suddenly more okay with the idea of staying here tonight." He told them "What did you have in mind, Sallie?"

Sallie smiled. Having the drake on her side would make this much easier. "We still haven't tried that board game I found at my aunt's." The rabbit suggested.

"It's missing pieces," Ryan reminded them, still clearly not liking the idea of staying in. The two monsters looked at him, however and Sallie knew he could tell that he was outnumbered in this. With a sigh, he went to get the game from the closet.

_That's one night down_ , Sallie thought, _now to figure out what to do for the rest of them._

Ryan went to the bar later that night on his own. A part of him hoped that perhaps Undyne and the other two would still be there, but they were not. The place was empty aside from Grillby himself. Seeing as he was already there, he decided to sit and have a drink regardless. The fire monster had a glass on the bar before he even sat down which he filled with an amber liquid Ryan would have said tasted like a good tequila, but the monster claimed he had no idea what that even was.

Thanking the monster, he sat down and took a sip before staring into the glass. The past few weeks had brought new questions to his mind. He felt like something was going on just outside of his reach and Sallie's behavior earlier didn't help that suspicion, but he had too little information to start putting the pieces together yet. Frankly, it was likely none of his business, but thinking about it like that did not help matters.

He downed the rest of his drink in one go and placed his glass back down on the bar for Grillby to give him another but it was someone else that filled the glass. Looking up, Ryan found a different fire monster standing behind the bar with Grillby nowhere to be found. He had not even noticed the two switch. Ruby set the bottle down on the bar and smiled down at him. The green fire had on white knitted sweater even in the heat of the restaurant. Small tendrils of energy leaked out of the loose weave. "You're here late." She said playfully.

"I could say the same for you." Ryan shot back just as playfully as he took the drink.

"I don't sleep much." She told him.

"Me either." Ryan took another sip and placed the glass back on the bar before asking, "Did you just get here today?"

"Yup, just finished unpacking and all ready for break." The monster snatched his drink from in front of him and raised it in a toast. "Hopefully it will feel like a long one." She took a sip and looked like nearly choked. She put the glass back on the bar as she doubled over and tried to hack up what she just drank. "How do you like that?" she asked between fits of coughing.

"I don't," he admitted, dragging the glass back to him.

The monster looked at him incredulously while she regained herself. "Then why are you drinking it?" she questioned.

"For precisely that reason." He said as he fished it off. "More importantly, you have an entire bar's worth of alcohol behind you. Why did you feel the need to take _my_ drink?" He challenged jestingly. For that matter, aren't you a little young to be drinking?"

"This is my dad's bar," she reminded him.

"Fair enough," Ryan leaned against the bar and studied the monster. He had already decided she was nothing like her father; even the way she held herself was completely different. Grillby was a man you knew not to mess with just by looking at him and he did not have to do anything to remind you of that fact. Ruby looked ready to show her fangs at a moment's notice just in case you might have forgotten she had them. "So what brings you out to greet me so late?" He inquired before he remembered the answer to his own question. "You had said something about questions for me last time, right?"

The fire monster nodded. "I did. Is this a good time to start?"

"I got nothing else to do tonight." He said with a shrug.

The girl's smiled widened. "Excellent. I'll be right back." The monster disappeared through the door behind the bar and then Ryan was alone. Seeing as the bottle had been kindly left on the bar, Ryan poured himself another drink while he waited. He did not have to wait long as the monster returned with a notebook tucked under one of her arms. She pulled up the pass through and joined him on the other side of the bar, jumping up onto the stool next to him.

"So are these questions about me or humans in general?" Ryan asked while the monster set herself up and tried to find a blank page in her notebook. "Because the answers to one of those categories are pretty dull I'm afraid."

"I highly doubt that, but let's just stick to humans in general for now." Ruby clarified. "There's surprisingly very little information on humans left down here and I've read every scrap at least a dozen times. They don't really say much though, so having an opportunity like this is kind of unreal."

The fire monster definitely looked excited, and Ryan smiled. "Alright then, ask away," he told her.

Ruby tapped her pen against the bar as she thought of a place to start. "What's the red liquid humans are filled with called?" She asked finally. Ryan took on a puzzled look for a moment and the monster expanded. "Very few images exist from the war, but whenever they depict an injured human, they have pools of red around them."

"You mean blood?" Ryan probed.

"Is that what it's called?" Ruby asked back, jotting something down in her notebook.

"Yeah," Ryan affirmed. "You didn't know that?"

"Like I said, very little information." The monster repeated, looking slightly embarrassed.

Ryan was certain he had met monsters who knew at least that much. Then again the only names that were coming to mind were Alphys and Undyne and it didn't surprise him that that information was closeted with them. "I didn't mean to make that sound like it should be obvious." Ryan said in way of apology. "It's easy to forget just how different humans and monsters are once you live with them for a while."

Ruby made another note in her book before looking up at him again. "That's alright. The only thing texts ever say about humans' bodies is that they simply have more physical matter to them than monsters, but they never go into detail beyond that, so I mainly did my best try to fill in the gaps with a lot of conjecture. Although, 'blood' is the last thing I would have expected humans to be filled with."

"Well, there's more than that to us." Ryan informed her. "A lot more."

That perked the monster's interest again. "Really like what?"

"Bones, organs, muscles, and a lot of smaller, more intricate things."

Ruby wrote that down as well and then asked. "Why is that?"

"Do you want a scientific answer as to why, or do you just want to know why I think we have all of that while monsters don't?"

"The latter, I guess." She said after a moment's thought.

"It's everything we need to exist without magic." He explained.

The monster did not write anything down that time. "What do you mean?"

Ryan put down his glass before elaborating. "I should explain something first. Magic doesn't exist on the surface and there's no evidence it ever has. But even if it does, at the very least no human has ever been able to interact with it. So, unlike monsters, our bodies don't function off of it all."

"How does that even work?" questioned the fire monster.

"In a way that is incredibly complex that I didn't pay enough attention to in school to completely learn." He expressed with a measure of displeasure.

"I'd be willing to take anything you can give me." She reminded him.

That made him chuckle. "If you say so." Ryan gave the monster the best answers to her questions as he could while hoping he did not accidentally give her any misinformation along the way. Ruby seemed to eat up every scrap, filling several pages in her notebook over the course of their little interview.

One thing Ryan noticed over the course of time was that the monster seemed to settle down somewhat, going from trying too hard to fit in with those older than her and more like she was just sitting and talking to a friend. He was thankful for that. He had enough monsters hold him above or beyond them in some way as it was.

The topic then moved to other things and before he knew it, several hours had passed. He looked at the time on his phone almost in disbelief.

"I should get going." He told Ruby in one of the moments of pause. "We'll have to continue some other time. Undyne's gonna be looking for me in a little while."

"Undyne?" The monster questioned as Ryan got up from the bar and left the money for the drinks.

"Yup, for training." He said in answer to her unasked question.

"Training what?" she asked instead.

"The one thing I've been lacking my whole life: magic."

 

Undyne's spear shattered against his spellwoven shield inches from his face. He spun through the mist of the summoned weapon to cut his sword at the monster while fire sprung to his free hand. As the monster jumped back, Ryan let out a jet of flame, but it was blocked as a wall of spears rose from the ground. With a thought, the flame solidified into ice around the monster's defense. Ryan used the ice to vault over the obstacle, but Undyne was nowhere to be found. Suddenly spears shot down at him from all directions. Ryan saw them coming and was well out of their range by the time they hit the ground. There was no sound of impact, no scattered debris; the weapons merely vanished as they touched the floor.

Ryan searched the white void for the monster, wondering where in the room she could have possibly found a place to hide. "You've gotten pretty good at that." Her voice came from above him. She stood atop the bar of ice as it slowly sunk into the floor as well.

"Thanks," Ryan said before slicing his arm through the air at the monster. Razor sharp wind arced towards her, but the monster dodged it just as easily as he had her spears. Undyne was before him a second later and he brought up his sword to defend her attack. As he did so, fire hit the monster from both sides and she broke away.

Ryan had learned quite well that beating Undyne was not just a matter of keeping out of her reach; she was tough to crack at both short and long range. Holding on to his determination, he hardly felt like he had been fighting for an entire morning. He knew that with his power, he could beat out the monster in terms of stamina if nothing else, and frankly that was all he was willing to attempt at that point. After almost killing her in the forest, he hardly wanted to see what going all out a second time would do.

"Stop!" Undyne called suddenly. In response to her command the room powered down. The white walls turning to a pale gray overlaid with large panels of glass held away from the surfaces by large spools of wire capped with a black disk. He had no idea how Alphys made any of it work in the end, but it certainly did. With the light left the feeling of standing in a void revealing that the room itself was not actually all that large, merely a fifty foot box across all dimensions. It was much smaller than the clearing, but they made it work.

"What?" Ryan questioned as he lowered his sword.

The monster looked at him sternly, like she was tired of giving the same lecture over and over again. "You're holding back again." She said.

"I am not," Ryan shot back defensively.

"You are and you know it." She said unyieldingly.

Ryan threw his head back in exasperation as he sheathed his weapon. "Alright so I am. So what? Yes, I could kill you with electricity the second I blocked your spear, yes I could fill half of this room with fire in a second, but what's the point? I thought this training was to make it so I could survive a fight with Asgore long enough that he's too tired to not listen to me. If I don't even have to fight at my full strength isn't that a good thing?"

In lieu of an answer, the monster stepped up to him and looked down at him angrily. "What was the first thing I taught you?" she asked.

"That you're insane, and that I should never let my guard down."

"Good. What else?"

"That just because I'm human doesn't mean I have the advantage. But I really don't-"

Undyne cut him off by raising her hand. "And the third part?"

"Magic is influenced by thought and emotion." He finished.

"Emotion more so," Undyne reaffirmed. "Because of that fact, magic can have a mind of its own in the wrong hands. Even if you don't intend to use all of your strength, circumstances may find you using it without meaning to, just like in the woods." Ryan grimaced at being reminded of that. He hardly needed her to do that. "The way to prevent that," she went on, "is to practice fighting at your full strength." Her words were accented by her poking him in the chest. "That way when emotion comes into play it will have less of an effect on your control in any situation."

"How?" Ryan asked. "Anything I could do would just kill you instantly."

"That's because all you use is simple magic. So, figure out how to do something more involved. And I expect something good by tomorrow."

"Are we done already?" Ryan asked.

The monster nodded. "I have two of you to look after, remember?"

"You're not going to stay for more anime?" he tried.

"Not today," she told him simply, already making her way towards the door that was now visible with the room powered down.

"It's been weeks since you stayed now." Ryan reminded her.

"Maybe tomorrow" was all she said.

The door swung shut behind her and Ryan was left in silence. "Wait, did she say I had a day?" he asked himself.

Ryan left the room to see Alphys staring in the direction Undyne had presumably gone and decided to forego arguing the warrior the ridiculousness of trying to learn a whole new magic in a single day. "How goes it, doc?" he Alphys instead.

The monster did not respond to him immediately, and when she did she went back to her computer, looking like she was trying to forget something. "What? Oh, hi Ryan. Is the room still working? No nausea or anything like that?"

"Nothing to report," he told her, letting his unanswered question lie. "Do you know if anything is wrong with Undyne?"

The doctor took a deep breath before answering. "She's just fine, I'm sure."

For some reason, Ryan did not entirely believe that, "It's just she hasn't been staying to hang out in a while now…"

"Perhaps that's for the best." Alphys said as she started to walk away, leaving him even more confused.

"Are we gonna watch anything?" he tried again as he chased after her.

"I think I should actually get some work done today." She told him before leaving him alone in the hallway.

 

Ryan closed the door behind him and breathed deeply the warm air of Sallie's home. Though the temperature no longer really got to him thanks to magic, he still felt it. And even after so long, he still enjoyed being able to return to a warm home after spending all day in the winter-locked forest or the volcanic dry of Hotland. He expected to see Sallie's mother downstairs as he entered, but the shop was dark and empty. He shrugged it off as he tried to think about what he was going to do with the rest of his day.

He could go see Ruby again, he supposed. The two of them had been meeting up the last few nights now and the monster hardly seemed short on questions yet. For some reason when Sallie found out about his nightly trips to the bar, she became very upset with him. Did she really think Ruby was lying about the questions just to rat him out? The idea seemed absurd to him. He had tried to get the monster to come with him more than once to see that Ruby truly meant no harm but that was met with fierce resistance and little explanation. Eventually he just dropped it.

Maybe, then, he should not spend the afternoon with the fire monster. Maybe Sallie won't be busy and they could have an afternoon together in the first time in what already felt like forever. However, it was not Sallie that met him as he made his way upstairs.

It was Ruby and Sallie's mother that sat at the kitchen table, laughing about something he had not heard. "You really are quite the charming girl." Sallie's mother said after they had calmed down. "I had no idea her circle of friends extended all the way to the capital now. It's good to see she's finally been able to get around more." Seeing Ryan standing in the doorway, she turned her attention to him. "Hello dear, Sallie's still out and about at the moment." The rabbit crossed her arms and made a _humph_ sound. "She was supposed to help me with the store this evening, but that seems to have slipped her mind. Instead I had the fortune of running into your friend Ruby here. How come she's never been by before?"

Ryan shrugged. "I don't know. Sallie always seems to find one reason or another."

Her mother gave him a smile that told him she knew something he did not. "Well, my daughter's assistance or not," she began, standing up from the table, "I have work to get done before the day is through." The old rabbit walked up to Ryan and put a hand to his chest. "Do try to refrain from doing anything that causes my daughter to tear the house down on our heads. Not that I think you're the sort who would do anything like that," she glanced behind her for a moment. "Just thought I should warn you regardless."

Ryan did not quite get what the monster was on about, but he nodded to the monster anyway and she went downstairs with a wink and a smile. He would never understand that woman's thought process, and he would not try to that time. Instead, he turned his attention to Ruby. The fire monster still sat at the table, left leg crossed over the right, the edges of her form flickering as bits of flame flew off the parts of her that were uncovered which was little more than her head at the moment. "So, what brings you here?" He asked her warmly. "More questions?"

The fire monster uncrossed her legs and stood up from the chair. "Yes, but they can wait." She told him. "I feel like you and I have yet to have an actual conversation, plus I don't think I ever properly thanked you for rescuing me in Hotland that day."

"Really? I could have sworn you said 'thank you' more than once at this point." Ryan said as he walked behind the kitchen counter and began pulling pans hanging from a wrack over his head. He stopped for a moment as he realized what he was doing. "You don't mind if I cook do you?"

Ruby shook her head. "By all means."

"You want to stay for dinner?" he offered casually. "I usually end up making more than enough for the four of us."

"Thank you, but I'll have to pass." She said and sounded like she genuinely regretted it.

"Are you sure? Your dad taught me most of what I know about cooking down here." He coerced.

"I already ate earlier." The fire monster clarified.

Ryan shrugged as he filled a pot in the sink with water. "Fair enough."

"Do humans really eat three times a day regardless of how active they are?" Ruby asked as she walked over to stand on the other side of the counter.

Ryan smirked at her. "I thought you wanted to save the question for later."

The fire monster rested her head in her hand and the two seemed to fuse. "I did, but you piqued my interest." She told him.

With a chuckle, he answered, "Short version: yes, that's what almost all of our doctors say we should shoot for to stay healthy. Slightly longer version: it varies. Most eat more, some eat less. For example, I used to get away with one or two most days before ending up here."

"Why would humans do that, eat more or less than they should if it's unhealthy for them?"

"A lot of reasons," Ryan explained. "Psychological, religious; I'm not really an expert on this, sorry."

The monster shrugged. "That's alright. I also heard from my father that you could eat as much as the whole town put together for just one of those meals. Any truth to that?"

Ryan nodded, turning away a moment to light the stove with fire magic. "There is. As it turns out, food made with magic is not very filling for humans."

"Probably because of how your body works."

"That seems to be the going theory."

"But apparently you you've stopped" She went on. "My dad told me how you barely eat at all now. He worried about you."

Ryan chuckled again. "I told him not to be. I'm perfectly fine."

"Can you blame him though? To go from eating a warehouse of food a day to nothing is quite the change." Ryan could tell that she was worried about him as well.

"Well, I was sick of eating your father out of house and home, so I found a way to stop it and I did." He explained.

"How?"

"Magic." Ryan said simply. Ruby gave him an unamused look. "What?"

"Is that all you're going to give me?" she asked, sounding unamused as well.

"That's all I have to give." He told her as he began pulling things out of the pantry behind him. "I don't really get it much myself." He thought for a second. "Monsters can survive without eating, right? Technically they can just draw energy from the air."

"Yes, but we wouldn't be able to do much." The fire monster clarified. "Little more than sit in bed, I'd guess."

"Well, something about my power allows me to do something similar to that, only magnitudes stronger, and it keeps at one hundred percent near constantly. My body just somehow learned how to use that energy to keep every part of me fueled and healthy."

"Are you doing that right now?" Ruby asked. Ryan picked up a new note of worry in her voice.

"Yup," he told her. "Can't even tell, can you? A couple weeks ago I would have been glowing red all over. I figured out how to control that, at least."

When he turned around again, the monster was standing right in front of him. Concern was writ on her face. "Doesn't that hurt you?"

"Um…" Ryan wrapped his knuckles against his forehead. "No, not really."

Without warning, the monster grabbed him by the head and pulled him down so he was eye level with her. She held his eyes open to look into them before putting a hand to his neck and then pressing her fingers into various places in his chest. "Fascinating…" she breathed once she was done and let him go.

"What's fascinating?" He said rubbing his neck and taking a step back from the monster. She followed him as if he were a magnet, her eyes full of reverence.

"That you can stay like that for so long without any damage. If a monster tried to do that, they would…"

"Kill themselves." Ryan finished. "Alphys told me; at least, she gave me the short version."

"Right… I guess the human body really is a lot stronger than monsters'."

Just then, the door opened. Sallie walked in, humming to herself as she listened to the music in her ears, and stopped in the doorway as she saw who was already in the kitchen. Her jaw dropped as she pulled the headphones from her ears. "Hey, Sallie." Ryan greeted awkwardly. The rabbit monster looked at him with a mixture of shock and anger. It was then that he realized the position he was in. In his effort to escape the other monster's grip, he found himself leaning back against the counter. Ruby was practically leaning over him.

In a flash, he was on the other side of the kitchen grabbing something from the fridge. "Dinner should be ready soon." He told her. "Where's Snowy?"

He turned back to the monster who was still glaring at him. "Why is she here?" She asked coldly.

"She was here before I got here." Ryan explained, hoping she would believe him. "Your mom invited her."

"Really?" Sallie said doubtfully.

"Yes?" He said slowly, suddenly doubting himself.

"We were just talking." Ruby said, making her way back to the other side of the counter. She sounded all too happy. "He was explaining to me just how powerful he is."

"Was he now?" Sallie's eyes did not leave him for a second. "I suppose you're staying to eat?"

"No, I was just getting ready to leave actually. I can see you two are busy." Ruby stepped past the two of them and out of the still open door to the lower floor. "It's been fun, Ryan. Talk to you tomorrow?"

"He might." Sallie answered for him and Ruby went down the stairs after another moment.

"I should probably see her out." Ryan said. A hand kept him back.

"I'll do it." Sallie told him.

"I don't really think-" A finger under his nose silenced him.

"Sit." She said gesturing to the table. He did as commanded.

"We really were just talking." He tried to assure her.

She merely glared back at him before descending the stairs herself.

Ruby was waiting by the door. "I must admit, you're a lot better at hiding your ugly side around him." She told the rabbit monster.

"You have some nerve, girl." She said back to her. "Coming into my house walking around like you own not only it but Ryan too.

"I was invited, like he said." Ruby stated calmly. "Why would I refuse? I've grown to quite like spending time with Ryan."

"You better watch where you're going with this," Sallie warned. "I thought your questions were just for some school project."

"They were, but I've since realized that he is definitely my type." The monster grinned but venom filled her eyes.

Sallie's anger was about to boil over now. "Get out." She demanded. "And don't let me ever catch you anywhere near Ryan again."

"Sorry, but you made this into a war." Ruby said, not making a single move towards the door. "When I'm done, we'll see if he really loves you, or if he simply settled because there was simply no one else in this frozen wasteland of a town."

Unable to hold back her anger any longer, Sallie swung at the monster. Her hand went straight her fluid form and Sallie pulled her hand back as in began to sting. She looked at her fingers to see the fur that covered them slightly singed.

"Be seeing you." Ruby said before casually walking out the door.

Sallie clenched her fist as she watched the door close behind the monster. She had just gone from being a nuisance to a scourge and one she was ready to kick all the way back to Hotland herself. How dare she?

Ascending the stairs once more, Sallie found Ryan had not moved from where she had told him to sit. If he had, she may very well have ended him. "Explain." She demanded.

"I got out of training early and everyone was busy so I came back." He said quickly. "When I got here your mom was talking with Ruby and then she left. I didn't want to be rude; she was just here for more questions." Seeing that the monster was not yet satisfied, he went on. "She was asking me about my power. She seemed shocked that I wasn't dead from it is all." The last words trailed off as he ran out of words to say.

Sallie still stood by the doorway, hands on hips and glaring down at Ryan. She then stepped up to him and leaned forward, looking him in the eyes, before going off to their room. Ryan followed after a moment. "You believe me, right?"

"Of course," she answered simply, not turning to look at him.

"Is something else wrong then?"

That time she did turn to him, and she hoped the look she gave him told him that everything was alright. "No," she said simply again. She wanted to tell him about what had just transpired downstairs, but she knew him well enough to know that he had enough on his mind to need this piled on top of all of it. She reached out and put her hands around his neck and he wrapped his around her waist.

"If you say so," he said sound in only half convinced, which was half better than she had hoped for. This was a problem she would deal with herself, she decided, even if that meant not letting him out of her sight from now on.

 

The next day, Snowy sat on the windowsill once more, looking intently at the Skeleton's house from his vantage point. He had sat there practically since he had heard Ryan leave that morning. He watched to see if that lizard tried to sneak off after them at all just as he had every morning since the monster's arrival. The monster had yet to try anything so far, but Snowy was not about to let his guard down so soon. At least he had not seen him leave with them, so at least it had not gotten _that_ bad yet, but he felt that was only a matter of time if things were allowed to progress on their own. He would have to take it upon himself to make sure the lizard did not interfere. Snowy still did not completely trust the monster and it would take a lot of convincing to change that view.

A short time later, the front door opened and the kid stepped out into the snow. Snowy almost flew down then and there before Papyrus stepped out right behind him. The two spoke briefly before heading in the direction of the part of the forest behind the town.

At least he had a chaperone, the drake thought, but it _was_ Papyrus. Snowy decided it was better to be safe than sorry and he floated down to follow after the pair, keeping a good distance between them.

The two made it to the stream behind town and stopped. Snowy hid in the tree tops and tried to get close enough to hear what they were saying. "I don't think Undyne has much faith in me after all…" He heard the kid say.

"Nonsense!" Papyrus assured him. "Undyne is tough on everyone, believe me. To her, 'you call that a kick?' is like anyone else saying 'great job! I couldn't have done better myself."

"I don't know… maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all." He was already having second thoughts? That boded well. Perhaps this problem would resolve itself without him needing to interfere.

"You shouldn't give up so quickly." The skeleton told him. "It takes much more than a few nights to turn a monster into a guardsman."

"Stop encouraging him." Snowy whispered pleadingly. "Let him give up!"

"Yeah, but when I have you and Ryan to compare myself to, I don't feel like I'll get anywhere…" MK went on and Snowy breathed a little easier.

"And it was through hard work and dedication that we were able to make it this far. But more than anything it took time. Give it another week or two; you'll realize you're getting better. Come on; let's practice some while she's gone."

The two moved off a bit and out of Snowy's sight. The drake shifted himself on the branch to try to get a better look, but had not realized he had gone out too far and the branch snapped. He tumbled down to the snow spinning end over end. He was able to spread his wings and catch himself at the last second but he still hit the snow relatively hard. When he managed to get back to his feet, Papyrus and MK were both standing over him, looking confused.

"Oh, what time is it? I must have dozed off." Snowy said, quickly thinking up some excuse as to why he was there. "Well, I should get back. Sallie's probably worried about me by now."

He had hardly finished before MK tackled him back to the ground. The two monsters flipped over one another a few times before coming to a stop with MK pinning Snowy to the ground. Snowy struggled beneath the monster's feet. "Get off of me!" he yelled.

"Sucks, doesn't it?" MK said with little sympathy.

A gust of wind spun around the two monsters. After it picked up speed, it rushed inward towards MK and lifted him off of Snowy. The gust died as Snowy picked himself back up to his feet, dropping MK face first into the snow. "Not as much as it does for you." The drake told him.

"What are you doing here anyway?" MK asked still struggling to pull himself up.

Snowy stepped up to the other monster as he made it back to his feet. "Making sure you don't try anything funny, like spying on Ryan again."

"Look at who was just spying on who!" MK pointed out.

"This is different!" Snowy defended.

"No it's not!" The two monsters practically had their head pressed together now as they glared at each other.

"Children!" Papyrus interrupted. "This is no way for friends to be behaving."

They both rounded on the skeleton. "We are not friends!" they shouted simultaneously.

"Why don't you just get off my back already?" MK went on, turning back to Snowy.

"Why don't you just go home?" The drake countered.

"I can be here if I want to be here!"

"Well, then so can I!"

A wall of bones shot up between the two monsters. Splitting, the wall pushed them back and away from each other before retreating into the snow. "Now, I know that I know nothing about this," Papyrus began, sounding nervous but doing his best to hide it, "but perhaps if you explained I could help you two work this out."

The two younger monsters began talking over one another so quickly that Papyrus picked up almost none of it. After they were finished they immediately went back to arguing and the skeleton pushed them away from each other once more. "I… see," he said, confusion ripe in his voice. "Well, perhaps we should take a page out of Undyne's book to settle your problems then."

"You're right!" MK agreed. "Let's fight!" He sprung at Snowy once more, but a cage of bone appeared around the monster, making him pull up short.

"No, not fighting. I was thinking tea." Papyrus clarified.

"Tea?" the two monsters questioned simultaneously again.

"Yes, tea." The skeleton repeated.

"Okay, and then we fight!" MK said, excitedly.

"No, just tea." Papyrus maintained.

The young monster frowned. "This doesn't sound like Undyne."

Papyrus let out a short bout of laughter. "Oh, you'd be surprised."

 

Sallie found herself staring at the various machines filling the room. Many contained screens that flashed through lines of text faster than she could read them and she wondered what the point of that was. Many of the things in the lab confused her and she was beginning to question why she had even come in the first place.

She knew why she came, she reminded herself. During one of the rare moments when Sallie actually managed to wake up at the same time as Ryan he had ask if she wanted to come with him and she had said yes if only for the reason of still making sure Ruby stayed away from him.

They had met up with Undyne at Waterfall's entrance and made the journey in awkward silence. It had been a few days since Sallie had seen the monster, but she looked really worse for wear. She wondered if Ryan noticed.

When they had gotten to the lab, she had been introduced to Alphys. Sallie had always been curious about the Royal Scientist and she would be lying if she did not say the monster fell short of her expectations. She seemed nice enough though, if incredibly nervous.

Ryan and Undyne had locked themselves in the room adjacent to them and the silence that came from it was mildly unsettling. "How long to they usually go at it for?" Sallie asked the doctor who was sitting at another one of the machines on the other side of the room. She did not fully expect an answer; the monster seemed to be ignoring her existence for the most part.

Though, after a moment, the doctor looked up from the screen and said, "Usually awhile, but it's been getting less and less lately. I think they might be hitting a wall. Oh, and I think somebody just hit a wall…"

"Are you sure they're even doing anything in there? For two of the strongest magic users in the Underground going at it, it's awfully quiet…" She stared at the closed door, almost straining for some sign of life within, but the whir of the machines around her was all she could make out. "You couldn't have put a camera in there or something?"

"I tried." The doctor told her, spinning her chair around to face her. "That lasted about all of five minutes. Trust me though; they are definitely fighting. I can see it all right here." Alphys spun back to the screen she had been looking at and Sallie went over to see what the monster was talking about. The screen she was looking at showed six squares in two rows along the top, splotches of rainbow color that shifted constantly filled most of each of them. More text scrolled along the bottom half and Sallie could not read a word of it.

"How does this tell you what's going on?" she asked.

Alphys typed something into the keyboard below the screen and the text stopped. "See this?" she asked, pointing to one of the lines. It was a number, but it meant nothing to her. "This is one of the sensor readings that quantifies the magical output of the room. And it tells me that they are definitely doing something amazing in there, or at least one of them is."

"What do you mean?"

"I designed that room to be a closed system." She explained. "Hence the lack of sound from it. Basically put, it was so I could know exactly how much energy was in there when they started and I should be able to measure how much is being burned by Ryan's power."

Sallie did not exactly understand what that all meant, but she thought he had the gist of it. "You said should," the rabbit monster managed to pick out. "Is something wrong?"

"Wrong? I don't know how it could be right. The density hasn't changed at all. It almost never does. I don't know where he's getting his strength from but it's not from that room. It's fascinating. Oh, I think they've stopped."

The door behind them opened a moment later, admitting a Ryan and an Undyne who looked no different than when they had entered. "I told you," Undyne was saying, "either figure out something new or start fighting at full strength or we're done."

"It takes more than a couple of days to learn a new magic form, even for me." Ryan argued.

The monster rounded on him. "That's hardly stopped you before. No excuses!" The monster turned away from him. She looked to Sallie and then to Alphys and all of the anger seemed to drain out of her. "We'll try again tomorrow." She said and then left without another word.

Ryan let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm beginning to think she's looking for any excuse just to run out of here."

Alphys cave a wry chuckle that made Sallie question what was really going on here. "So is that it, you're done for the day?"

Ryan tossed his head to the side as if he did not want to admit to that. "Unless you want to stay and watch shows."

"Oh, I don't want to keep you for that." Alphys chimed in before Sallie could question what he meant.

"Why not, are you busy again today, Alphys?" Ryan asked and the doctor looked away.

"Well, no not really… It's just I didn't think Sallie would be very into it."

It clicked in her head that they were talking about those human shows that Ryan had been staying to watch some days. "Actually I would love to watch a few." Sallie told them. "I've been curious about this for a while now."

Alphys looked more than a little taken aback. "R-really?"

She nodded. "Sure."

The doctor smiled brightly. "Then I'll go find something."

 

Next thing Snowy knew, he found himself in the skeleton's living room sitting across from MK at a table that had been pulled away from the wall. One side of it looked like it had a crack that had been haphazardly repaired. In fact much of the house looked as if it had been broken and glued back together.

Snowy took a deep breath as he waited patiently for the skeleton to return from the kitchen. The whole house smelled like burnt pasta and it only added to his discomfort. The other monster remained as quiet as him, glaring at anything but the other end of the table. That was fine by Snowy.

"Here you are." Papyrus said as entered the room holding a tray with three mismatched cups on it. He placed one in front of each of them before sitting down between them. "So, I will admit, I've only seen Undyne do this once," he began, "but I'll try my best. I believe she started by asking, 'why are you here?'"

The two looked at the skeleton confused. "Um, didn't you invite us?" Snowy asked.

The monster's eyes widened like the thought just occurred to him. "Right, right." Papyrus looked off, trying to figure out what to do next. "So, um… how's the tea?" he tried. The two other monsters looked at the cups in front of them awkwardly. "Go ahead, try it." The skeleton urged.

"I can't." MK said.

"Me either." Snowy added. "Wings aren't the best things for grabbing."

Papyrus flinched as he realized his blunder. "Oh, of course. My apologies." The skeleton stood back up and disappeared into the kitchen once more. There was a crash and what sounded like a dog barking before Papyrus returned with straws that he stuck in both of their cups. "There you go." He said as he sat back down.

The two took a tentative sip and immediately cringed back from the cups as they tried not to cough up everything they had eaten that week. "What kind of tea is this?" Snowy asked, failing to hide his disgust.

Papyrus's chest puffed out before saying, "Why it's my patented Spaghetti Tea of course. What do you think?"

"I don't think I want either of those things ever again now." MK said frankly, trying to speak without starting to cough again.

Papyrus's eyes turned to the monster. They lit up with an excitement that confused Snowy. "You mean you think it's so good that anything else pales in comparison?" The skeleton asked.

"I don't think that's what he meant at all…"Snowy clarified.

Papyrus looked dumbfounded. "What? Even higher praise than that? Is such a thing even possible?" He shook his head as if to clear it and grabbed the edge of the table. "No, compliments given so openly should never be looked down upon. I accept your most gracious critique! But, I am left with a dilemma. It is the single greatest critique I have ever received on any of my cooking, even greater than anything Ryan has said, and he thought more highly of my culinary prowess than anyone! But my passion has always been spaghetti in its pure form. Yet this, a hybrid pasta dish, is this the best I have to offer the world? Should I shift my focus, or hone my original craft further?" He looked to both the younger monsters for an answer.

"I definitely thing you should reevaluate some life choices." MK told him.

The skeleton slammed his hands down on the table as he stood up once more, unfortunately it did not spill the tea. "You're right!" he exclaimed. "A whole new avenue has been opened up for me! You both have my thanks. Forgive me; I must explore this new avenue at once!"

Papyrus disappeared into the kitchen once more.

For the first time since their arrival, Snowy and MK looked at each other and they both cracked up in laughter.

 

"Well, that was certainly… interesting." Sallie said as she fell into one of the chairs after they made it back from the lab. She and Ryan had barely said a word to each other on the way through Waterfall.

The man sat down next to her and looked off into space as he had since they left. "Yeah, sorry about that. That's the nature of anime though; you have your good, your bad, and your downright weird and messed up." Inappropriate would have been the word she chose. She hardly even wanted to think about it. "Not really what anyone would chose as an introduction to the medium, for sure," Ryan went on. "I guess that's what we get for picking one at random."

"It's fine," she told him. "I get the feeling the doctor didn't really like me very much anyway."

Ryan gave her a sideways glace. "What makes you say that?"

"She barely said a word to me while I was there unless I asked a question." Sallie explained. "In fact she mainly pretended like I didn't exist."

Ryan shrugged and went over to the fridge, coming back with a drink for both of them. "That's just how Alphys is," he explained. "Likely she was thinking that doing anything more than that would inconvenience or annoy you to the point where you hated her."

Sallie chuckled. "That's absurd."

"It's true though, trust me, I was the same way for a long time. I still am occasionally."

Sallie found it no less ridiculous regardless of whether he wanted her to believe it. "Alright, if that's the case, then that's hardly a way to go through life."

"I agree, which is part of the reason why I've been staying there so often." Ryan walked over to the window in their room and looked out into the street. Below he saw Snowy stepping out of Papyrus's house and he smiled to himself. "One of the best ways I've found of getting over that problem is to be with friends," he went on. "Unfortunately she lacks a few of those. And with Undyne being… well, Undyne – I just want to make sure she doesn't end up a recluse.

Sallie smiled to herself as well. As if she needed more proof that he cared about them. "Then how can I help?" she asked as she went over to join him.

"That may actually be difficult for you." he admitted as he took a sip of the soda he had grabbed from the fridge. "I don't think your personalities mesh very well."

"How so?"

Ryan took a second to piece together his words as he stared out the window. "To put it simply, Alphys is what we humans would call a weeb, and weebs have a few personality traits that some find slightly off-putting."

"And you think we won't be able to get along because of that?" Sallie scoffed. "Need I remind you, monsters are a bit more tolerant than humans."

"Well, let's test this: have you ever fallen in love or been obsessed with a fictional character?"

Sallie wondered if he was joking for a moment. "Um, no?"

"Welp, you're already failing."

Sallie smacked him on the arm. "I seriously doubt that's important."

"It is though," Ryan maintained. "More than anything, Alphys wants people to tell her that the things that she likes aren't weird."

"Well, I think I can manage that." she paused for a second. "How come you know all of this?"

The question made Ryan laugh. "I'll give you one guess."

 

"Do you think Snowy will be alright on his own?" Sallie asked as she and Ryan made their way to the lab the next day.

Ryan shrugged. "He was fine long before us." He reminded her. "Plus, he has MK now. Those two seem to be inseparable now."

"I guess you're right." Sallie admitted.

They came upon Undyne just before the end of the caves. The monster's eye looked to Sallie disapprovingly. "She's coming again? This isn't going to become a regular thing, is it?"

"And if it does?" Ryan challenged. "We fight in a hermetically sealed chamber, so don't even try to say she'll be a distraction."

The monster _tsked_ and started away from them. "I'm just warning you, that's all."

"She's gotten more ornery lately, right? I'm not the only one seeing this?" Ryan asked when the monster was out of earshot.

"If such a thing is even possible," Sallie agreed.

 

Sallie wandered through the halls of the lab while Ryan trained. Something had called the doctor away all of the sudden and she had told her to feel free to explore so she used the opportunity to try to gather information. Ryan had said Alphys wanted to know that people thought what she liked was not weird, but he had neglected to give any information as to what she actually liked. Science and technology obviously, otherwise why would she surround herself with it constantly, but why would she think any of that was weird? It had to be something else.

She thought back to the show they had watched for a brief minute before none of them could stand it anymore. That had to have something to do with it, she decided. If so, she was beginning to see what he meant.

Most of the doors she passed were locked, a loud buzz sounding before she could even reach for the handle. Eventually she found her way back to the main room. The doctor's desk was empty. Well, empty of her at least – the thing was covered with just as much trash as she recalled seeing yesterday. Her curiosity made her take a closer look and a spot of pink caught her eye amidst the wrappers and empty packages. She picked it up and looked it over. It was a little plastic figurine depicting a human though it had huge eyes and cat ears poking out of her pink hair. The figurine winked at her as it posed like it might dance off of its base at any moment. "That's pretty cute, I guess." She put the figurine back down on the desk and something behind it caught her eye. A staircase, slightly hidden within the wall, but as she looked at it, it moved up on its own.

She stepped up to it cautiously and tried to see where it led, but it was obscured by shadows before it reached the top. Nothing barred her way, so she stepped onto the moving metal staircase and let it take her to the top.

Lights snapped on as she reached the end, revealing a room unlike any other she had been in so far. This room actually looked like a home. She supposed it must be Alphys's. On the side of the room where the stairs had let her off, the walls were covered with shelves filled with all matter of colorful books, boxes, and figures like the one on the desk downstairs. The sheer amount of them overwhelmed her. There had to be hundreds!

A sound behind her made her turn and she saw the doctor standing awkwardly behind her. She looked ready to apologize for Sallie walking into her own room, so Sallie made sure to say it first. "Sorry, I didn't know this was your room. Everything else made it pretty clear if I wasn't allowed to go there."

"No, no that's fine." Alphys assured her. "There's nothing up here, really, just my stupid knick knacks." She laughed awkwardly and Sallie turned back to the shelves.

"You've got quite the collection here." Sallie told her.

"Yeah, it sort of just built up over the years, but it's nothing special."

"I wouldn't say that," Sallie picked out of the figures off the shelf that did not look fragile. It was an orange haired man dressed in black robes wielding a massive sword. Somehow, the expression it wore reminded her of Ryan. "This is all from the surface, right? Where did you find all of it?"

"The dump in Waterfall mainly." The doctor said, sounding more than a little embarrassed to admit that.

Sallie's eyes widened. "You found all of this in Waterfall?"

"Well, a lot of it. The rest I bought from vendors in the city but they all pretty much get it from the same place too. I know it's all just useless junk, but I can't get enough of them."

"I can see why," Sallie told her. "A lot of these are pretty cool."

That perked the monster up a bit. "Do you really think so?"

Yeah," Sallie assured her. "Are they all from those shows?"

"Some of them, others are from the manga, I mean books here. A few of them I haven't been able to place yet." The monster froze mid step towards one of the shelves and turned back to her. "Sorry about that incident yesterday, by the way. I had not idea that show was about that."

"Don't worry about," Sallie assured her. "At the very least it made me curious as to what some of the other ones are about."

"Really?"

"Yeah I'm sure something that comes with a recommendation will be worlds better. So, which is your favorite?"

The monster suddenly looked embarrassed again. "Uh, actually I think you might like this one better." She pulled a case from one of the shelves and handed it to her. Sallie read the front. The words Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood were written across the top, a picture of a boy sitting in front of a suit of armor with a dour look on his face was below the name. "It's usually a good starting point for people, or so I've been told." Alphys finished.

"Can we watch it later?" Sallie asked, handing the box back to her.

"If there's time, sure. I don't think either Ryan or I will mind rewatching it."

"Ryan's seen it?"

As Alphys turned back to her, she was smiling. It was the first time Sallie could remember seeing the monster doing so. "You'd be surprised by how many of these he's seen." She said.

"Less surprised than you think, honestly." And they both laughed.

 

When Ryan and Undyne emerged from the training room, Alphys and Sallie were back in the lab next to it, still laughing at some joke they had missed. "I'm still not seeing significant progress." Undyne was saying as she walked out. "I'm beginning to become disappoint-" she cut herself off as she saw the other two monster's in the room. For some reason the warrior looked caught off guard.

Sallie turned to them and addressed them. "Done already?" She asked. "That's a shame, I was hoping for more time to talk." The last was for Alphys, but then she turned back to Ryan again. "Were staying to try another show, right? Alphys has been telling me about one that sounds much more interesting."

"You should join us, Undyne." The doctor tried. "It's one of your favorites."

The monster said nothing, just continued to stand there. After a moment, she clenched her fists and rounded on Ryan. "You have three days to come up with something." She told him. "If you can't come up with anything by then, we're done, and I'll be the first one there to stop you on the way to Asgore if you still try to fight him." Without anything else she stormed off. Leaving the three to exchange confused looks.

"I'm really starting to worry about her." Ryan admitted.

"She's fine." Alphys told him, sounding like she more frustrated with the monster now than anything. "Undyne can work out her own problems. She'll probably be back to normal before we know it."

Sallie and Ryan shrugged at each other, trusting the monster's judgment, but Sallie would soon find her to be wrong.

 

The rabbit monster drummed her fingers against the table she and the rest of her little group had taken up in Grillby's. Despite her protests, she realized that she could not keep objecting to going every night or else it would start to look suspicious. Only she sat with Undyne, Papyrus, Snowy and MK. Ryan had been chased off by Undyne shortly after their arrival, getting lectured that he needed to keep practicing whatever it was she had him doing now. Luckily Little Miss Hothead was nowhere to be found. However, having Undyne was little better that night. The monster's mood had only gotten worse overtime, and she had been shooting angry looks at her every chance she got ever since that day in the lab and she just did not understand what her problem was. She was not about to ask though, better just to put up with it.

Letting out a breath, she got up and walked over to the bar, trying her best to ignore Snowy and MK's bickering. As she ordered her drink, the captain of the Royal Guard came up behind her. The monster was clearly more than one deeper than she was. "So, you've been going to the lab an awful lot lately." She said as if it were not obvious.

"Yes, and?" Sallie asked, wondering where she was going with this. She did not expect the monster to actually start something, otherwise she would have done so days ago, so she was not scared. At least she tried to tell herself that.

"I also noticed you've been getting pretty chummy with Alphys." Undyne went on. The monster leaned back against the bar and looked at their table before nodding. "That's good," she said. "I just hope you aren't stringing her along or anything is all."

Sallie did not look at her; she simply stared at Grillby's back as he made her drink. "And what's that supposed to mean?" She asked anyway.

Undyne turned to face her again, still leaning against the bar heavily. "I mean, that when the time comes when Ryan no longer needs to go there every day, I hope you don't just suddenly drop all contact with her, because that would be unfortunate."

The implied threat was obvious, and Sallie rounded on the monster. "Are you really one to talk?" she countered. "You storm out of there every day with hardly a word to her. Yet now you're going to pretend to be her friend?"

The monster glared at her with her one eye and it very nearly made all of the fire rush out of Sallie. "Don't pretend like you know what's going on." She said fiercely. Then her glare turned to one of curiosity. "You know, from day one I've felt like you have something against me."

Sallie mustered up all her courage to keep going with this. "Can you really blame me, with how you treat Ryan almost every day?"

"What do you mean how I treat him? I'm doing exactly what he asked me to do. Are you trying to tell me that he comes home and whines to you about it every night?"

"Hardly, and that's what I hate mare than anything. You're more a slave driver than a trainer and I'm sick of it!"

The monster smirked. "Oh yeah? Maybe tomorrow I'll push him a little harder just because you pissed me off."

Sallie snapped, she swung her hand at the monster and was on the floor before she even knew what happened. Pain shot up and down her back and her vision went in and out. Undyne was standing over her a moment later, looking much more sober than she had a moment ago. "In case you've forgotten, sweetie, your boyfriend and I are trying to set monsters free while you're being too selfish to see past your own nose."

Papyrus was between them a second later. The skeleton pushed Undyne back. "That's enough," he said with more power behind his voice than she would have thought the monster capable. Undyne glared at her for another moment before pushing Papyrus out of her way and storming out of the bar.

Sallie was still too stunned to realize the skeleton was holding out his hand to help her up. When she took it she stared at the door. Everyone in the bar was looking at her, she realized, and she wanted to shrink into herself.

"I'm sorry about that." Papyrus said, drawing her away from the eyes. "I don't know what that was about, but it was uncalled for."

Sallie shook her head. "No, it was my fault. She forgot her coat." She added, looking back to the black jacket that still hung from the peg by the door.

"I'll bring it back to her later." Papyrus told her.

"No, I'll do it now." Sallie said.

The skeleton caught her arm. "I don't think that's the best idea."

"It's fine." She told him. To her surprise, the monster let go. Sallie grabbed the coat and went outside. The street was empty, most already home for the night, and Sallie walked to the shed by Papyrus's house where the guardswoman had taken up residence. She knocked, but there was no answer. She was about to go back to the bar when she heard a splash coming from the river behind the house.

Walking into the woods, she found the monster throwing chunks of ice at the slow moving water. Undyne turned as she approached and Sallie froze. "What do you want?" The monster asked.

"You left this." Sallie said, holding the jacket out to her.

Undyne snatched it from her hands after a moment of puzzlement. "Thanks, I guess." She said as if she did not care, though she threw the jacket on fast enough to make her believe otherwise.

"I'm sorry," Sallie said, though the words were difficult. "I didn't mean to make you angry in there." The monster shrugged but said nothing, still looking out over the water. Sallie noticed she had her drink in her hand and she tried to bite back a frown. "You're right, I am being selfish, but can you really blame me? I love him."

The monster actually cracked a smile. "No, I guess I can't. But there's something you need to understand." She took a breath and looked over her shoulder as if to make sure no one was listening to them.

"Ryan is strong," she began, "crazy strong." Undyne looked somberly into to her glass. "Far stronger than me," she admitted quietly. "That's why I keep putting him down, why I keep pushing him so hard. Otherwise he'll realize how strong he is and he'll go off before he's ready and get him or someone else killed." She took a sip before going on. "In that way, I'm thankful for you Sallie. You give him another reason to stay here another day, another week; and yes, I'm actually happy about that. But you need to realize that life can't stay like this forever. Everyone's hearts are set on getting out of this mountain. Even Ryan's or so he claims. Frankly, I don't understand how anyone in their right minds could ever want to stay down here."

"Because Ryan helped me realize how amazing this place really is, and I'll be the first to admit that it would probably be better if we stayed here."

"Why? Because of all of that stuff he says about the surface?" Sallie nodded. "But we can change that." Undyne claimed.

"Could we though?" Sallie countered. "If humanity is really like what he says, do we really have a chance for a peaceful life on the surface?"

Undyne nodded. "We'll never know unless we try, and I think most monsters would be willing to take the jump, even knowing the risks."

Sallie gave a sour laugh. "They're all inflated with the idea that the barrier falling means that Asgore will be a God able to defend them from anything."

Undyne was quiet for a moment as she looked out over the water. "When the barrier falls, we _will_ have a God." She said before turning and adding. "It just might not be the King." She walked away, leaving Sallie to puzzle out the monsters words. "Oh, and sorry for knocking you down. You're alright, Sallie."

 

Ryan just barely managed to block the strike that came at him, and doing so almost made his arms go numb. Undyne had decided on a change of tactics, he was barred from using any of the magic he had used up to that point to fight until he showed that he had learned something new. The monster had not gone too crazy in the beginning, but she was quickly ramping it up and Ryan struggled not to get swept away.

Undyne pulled away and seemed to disappear before his eyes and he scanned the room frantically for her. He had yet to come up with any sort of new magic that would satisfy the monster, but telling her that would not help him in any way. He either had to survive long enough for her to admit it, or come up with something quickly before his panic could build to the point where he lost control. His mind flashed back to that day in the forest and he shook it away. He would not let that happen again.

In that moment, just as his concentration slipped, Undyne was before him again. Instinctively, Ryan brought up his sword, but he did not have time to brace. The sword flew from Ryan's hand, and embedded itself in the wall behind him. Undyne did not let up, flowing straight into her next attack. It was just like before, when Ryan had almost destroyed the forest a second time; the monster was already in his reach, he could not dodge without leaving himself open and he had nothing to strike back with. And he was not about to try _that_ again. Suddenly an idea struck him; something clicked in his head that he was suddenly sure would work.

The edge of the monster's spear grew closer to his shoulder, and it rung out as it abruptly struck steel. Ryan watched Undyne's eye widen as she saw that another sword had materialized in his hand. "So that's how you do that." Ryan said with a smirk.

The monster smirked as well. "Good." She said in response. Then a kick to his mid sent him flying backwards. Ryan slid to the ground next to the other sword still stuck in the wall. "Now you can give me mine back." Undyne finished.

Ryan stood up and let his power fill him. Pulling the sword from the wall, he held both it and the one he had created at his sides. "You want it?" A soft crack rang out as half a dozen more swords appeared to float behind Ryan's head. In unison they turned to point at Undyne. Not surprisingly, the monster hardly looked discouraged. "Come get it." He teased.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So no one is probably aware of this, but this coming Wednesday is a pretty big deal for me. It will mark one year since I sat my butt down and started writing this, and that fact seems so unrealistic to me that I haven't even really processed it yet. But, to mark the occasion, I've decided I'm going to stream some video games over at twitch dot tv, and that will happen on November 9th at around 7pm EST. If anyone wants to come and hang out, I'll be making a fool of myself probably all night. So, yeah. Just thought I'd mention that. Since I don't think this site likes links either, I'll just say that the channel name is the same here just as it is everywhere, SimonKilnsworth, and hopefully I'll see you then. If not, then I'll see you Friday. 
> 
> Either way, until then, have a good one folks.
> 
> And yes, the chapter is named after the Fall Out Boy song, which I should mention is Sallie's favorite band.


	25. Raindance (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turns out I needed the extra week for this a lot more than I originally thought. When I got near the end of editing the second draft I was like, 'crap… this still needs a lot in order to make sense…' which is why it's in two parts.
> 
> When one of the Chara chapters got to 16K words, I told myself that if it ever got to that point again I would split it up. Any longer than that I feel would just be off-putting. In fact, that's probably a bit much (x2) already. I remember I looked into how long chapters were on average for the Wheel of Time novels (which is the standard I use when it comes to books that are long mostly because I don't read a lot of Steven King) and even those chapters are around 8k words, so…
> 
> I digress, I'm already a week late, and I won't waste your time anymore.

_Calm, control_ , Ryan repeated the chant in his head over and over. _Control is key or your power is meaningless._ He stood in the chamber Alphys had built to prevent his lack of control from causing further harm, but it was quickly proving to be unnecessary, and rightfully so in his mind. There was no point to his power if he simply destroyed everything around him with it. He would be the master of his own body and mind, only then would he be able to achieve what he meant to achieve. Movement stirred to his left and he ignored it, keeping his eyes closed and his posture calm.

The movement shifted to his right without a sound – Undyne was getting better herself. Ryan did not betray that he knew where the monster was. She was still too far away for him to do anything, and so he waited.

New movement popped up behind him, and Ryan raised a shield to block the incoming spear. He heard the telltale clink of the magical weapon against the invisible wall before the soft sizzle of the weapon disintegrating as it hit the magical buffer that surrounded the walls and the floor of the room. _Just one?_ Ryan thought as he found no trace of any further action from the monster. A buzz betrayed evidence to the contrary, right between his feet. He jumped just before the spear skewered him. Then, Undyne struck.

The monster came at him in midair, but Ryan could still read her movements. He pulled up his sword to block, but it did little good. The force of the blow sent him rocketing back towards the wall. Opening his eyes at last, he used a quick burst of air magic to adjust himself and formed a shield just beneath him. His feet hit and he sprung off back towards the monster, the concussive force from his leap absorbed by the room as well.

He swung at the monster from above. Undyne blocked, but it led to much the same result as with him and the monster went hurtling towards the ground. As she hit, Ryan grabbed a sword that materialized next to him with his free hand and tossed it at the monster. Undyne's eye was closed and for a brief instant and he wondered if that would be the end of it. But at the last second she snapped back to life and turned the blade aside, the magic-wrought metal disappearing as it hit the floor next to her.

Undyne sprung back to her feet and returned the favor. She threw her spear at him and several more appeared behind her to follow it up into the air. Ryan created a shield beneath his feet once more. The weapons bounced off the bottom of its surface harmlessly as Ryan landed atop it, seeming to stand on nothing but air.

"You planning on staying up there all day?" Undyne challenged.

Ryan smirked and crouched down on his invisible platform. "I might be." He teased.

The monster smiled back up at him in displeasure. "Think again." She said.

Ryan had already noticed the spear she had summoned behind him, and with her words it flew at the back of his head. He turned and stood as it neared and caught it in his hand. Holding by the haft mere inches from his face. "You're going to have to try harder than that." He said before he realized his error. That was only a diversion. Close to fifty more spears closed in on him from all sides – a tight net of certain death with no escape, except for one. Ryan rolled his eyes and undid his shield. Falling, he let the spears fly over him.

As he hit the ground, Undyne was before him in an instant. Ryan blocked her attack with her own spear which he still held on to. "I'm not letting you drag things out this time." She told him.

"Is that so?" Ryan challenged in turn.

In response, Undyne let the spear he held return to mist, but Ryan was already one step ahead of her. As the weapon vanished, so did he. Undyne did not spare a moment to be surprised. She cut at the air around her but hit nothing. Switching to the defensive, she scanned the room for the human, but it was useless.

Ryan hung back in the corner, completely invisible to anyone who was not less than a foot in front of him. He stilled his breathing, hardly needing it while he held his power anyway, and tried to think of a plan. His open hand twitched. Undyne had decided shortly after he had discovered how to magically create weapons that it did not qualify as the 'new magic' she had forced him to learn. And while he had not come up with anything yet, he had come up with new ways of using the magic he was already familiar with, including something that made illusion quite useful.

Weaving three separate spells of fire, air, and water over his hand, he threw them at the ground between him and the monster. Undyne turned at the faint noise, but it was too late. The spells collided as they neared the floor and exploded, surrounding the monster and filling the room with a dense fog. The fog was thick enough that it almost blocked out all of the light from the room itself and Ryan could no longer see Undyne. He closed his eyes once more.

The monster was turning a circle, wary but not panicking. Grinning to himself, he ran into the fog. He circled the monster who was still completely unaware of his presence. Every few feet he summoned a sword and tied it off without touching it. The weapons hung motionless in the air as he passed them. The soft crack that accompanied each apparition sounded all around the monster, giving her no hint to his position. Although that did not stop her from sending a few spears out into the fog to try to catch him.

While she continued to fumble around, Ryan was able to weave a bubble of illusion around the monster and he felt like laughing. The monster would now only see what he wanted her to see.

He decided to test it. He formed a shadow of himself right at the edge of the monster's vision opposite to where he hid. Undyne tossed her spear at it almost immediately and Ryan let the image dissolve back into the mist. Illusion was a tricky magic, the more complicated it was, the harder to maintain while doing anything else. However the simpler the illusion, the harder it is to be believable. The fog helped with that balance greatly.

Ryan grabbed one of the swords from the mist and charged at the monster. Simultaneously he created another shadow opposite him and let it get close first. The monster swung at the shadow and it faded into nothing. "What's the matter Undyne?" he taunted. "It's not like you to jump at shadows."

Revealing himself, Ryan swung and the monster from the high left with the conjured sword. The monster blocked and the sword shattered. With his main hand Ryan stabbed at her midsection, but he pulled up short and turned invisible once more as he jumped back. Undyne sent a wave of spears in the direction he had vanished, but he was no longer anywhere near them. He let out a bout of sinister laughter and a spell of air made it bounce around the room unnaturally.

The monster did nothing, she merely waited for him to come again. But if she thought it would be that simple, she was in for a surprise. Ryan watched as Undyne started to become aware of the fact that the mist was beginning to freeze on her armor. The monster twisted her body and shook her arms to try to break the ice, but as the shards fell, more quickly grew to replace them.

"You look a little stiff, Undyne." Ryan said, still throwing his voice around the monster. "Perhaps I should help." Grabbing another sword, he advanced at the monster once more. This time as he swung the weapon, fire coated the blade. Undyne jumped back enough to dodge the hit, but the flame reached farther than the sword and it caught her as she fled. The ice saved her from the worst of the damage – after all, he was only trying to scare her.

Undyne landed and tore away her helmet. Panting, she searched the fog for him once more, but he was already gone. Not wanting to give the monster a chance to rest, he charged in again. Undyne made no move to block, instead cutting him off by surrounding herself with spears as they shot up from the ground. Ryan's sword battered against the wall, shattering into fragments. It seemed that Undyne was done with him, but he was not quite done with her.

Ryan dove back into the mist and grabbed another of his swords before attacking the wall again. The sword shattered like the rest but some of the spears cracked as well. Knowing the monster would only put up more if given the chance, he zipped around to hit it again, battering the shield with every sword he still had hidden in the fog in just a few seconds. With the final swing, a section of the wall fell and the monster was exposed once more. Ryan charged in. Banishing the fog so the monster would be blinded in the sudden light, he put his real sword under her chin with no resistance. As the monster blinked away the light and saw her position Ryan could not help but smile to himself.

"Looks like I won." He said.

Undyne smirked as well. "Guess again squirt." She raised her hand and pointed down at his feet. Following the gesture, Ryan saw a circle of blue light dancing in front of his feet and he knew what it meant very well. Aggravated, Ryan pulled his sword away and sheathed it at his side. "All that work means nothing if you get overconfident and careless at the last moment." Undyne lectured.

"Right," was all Ryan said in response.

"Still, that was pretty good." The monster admitted. "But I didn't see anything new in all that. Your swords are still too weak too; they could barely last one hit. I'm surprised they didn't fall apart as you were swinging them."

"Again then?" Ryan asked. He pulled out his sword once more, already knowing the answer.

But the monster shook her head. "We're cutting it short today." She announced as she began unstrapping her armor.

Ryan blinked and lowered the sword, "Really?"

She nodded. "I had something else in mind today anyway. I want you to meet someone important to me." The monster picked up her helmet off the ground and began walking towards the door. As she opened it, she turned back to him again. "I assume you have nothing better to do?" Ryan looked around himself and gave a sarcastic shrug. He had been prepared to train for the rest of the day. They had almost set a new record for days in a row where they had not ended things early.

Undyne nodded. "Good. Alphys!" the monster shouted into the adjoining room. Silence met her. Ryan walked up behind to see that the room was empty. "Alphys!" She tried again, loud enough to be heard throughout the lab. Still no response.

"I guess she already left." Ryan suggested.

 

Sallie stood over a table in the back of the shop beneath her home folding long sheets of fabric into neat squares while she bounced back and forth to the music playing throughout the room thanks to her phone. She felt like she had enough music to last her a lifetime now. A short dip in the volume told her someone had messaged her and she went over to see who it was.

_On my way ^.^_

Alphys's message read and Sallie smiled to herself. It still surprised her somewhat that the two of them were able to become friends, although she had to more or less force the matter.

Ryan had been right, she was simply shy. And while her first few attempts were largely unsuccessful at getting the monster to break out of her shell a little, eventually she did open up. Once she got her to talk about "anime," as she needed to remember it was called, it was hard to get her to stop. After that, it had been easy to add her to her list of friends.

She had been hanging out with the doctor more often than not recently, Ryan was back to his training full swing, and Snowy was off hanging out with MK and Papyrus most of the time – much as he act like he hated it. It was not out of desperation or anything like that. She genuinely enjoyed spending time with the monster, but she could not help but feel that something was amiss between them.

Perhaps it was simply Undyne. Even though the two of them had gotten along better ever since their little quarrel in Grillby's, there was a tension between the doctor and the warrior that was almost palpable, and Sallie hardly felt like she was in a position yet with either of them to pry. Nevertheless, she wished she could help.

Still humming along to the music, Sallie piled the squares of fabric into a basket and carried it into the front room, where an unexpected visitor made her jump and almost drop the basket on the floor.

"Your taste in music makes me question your relationship slightly." Ruby said, leaning over the counter.

Doing her best to keep her anger under control, Sallie set down the basket and turned down the volume on the stereo from the control beneath the counter without taking her eyes off of the fire monster. "We're closed." She told her callously. "How did you get in here?"

"The Snowdrake let me in." Ruby answered, sounding amused. "He told me to tell you he would be back by the time Ryan returned. Which begs the question, where is our human friend?"

Sallie crossed her arms beneath her breast. "If he wanted you to know, I'm sure he would have told you." she nearly growled.

Ruby: her newest and biggest source of frustration. The girl seemed like she did nothing but sit in a window and wait for Ryan to return in the evenings. She would appear at his side within seconds, asking questions that Sallie felt were either too personal or too inappropriate. On top of that, she had revealed to have more than just feelings of curiosity for him. More often than not, the fire monster seemed to be flirting with him more than anything. Worst of all was that Ryan simply took it all in stride instead of shutting her down immediately as he should have. And now _she_ seemed to be having to deal with her fluid face more often than him. Sallie tried to keep herself under control. She would not be goaded by her, not in her own home. Not again.

Ruby shook her head in disappointment. "That was a bit defensive, don't you think? Something you want tell me? Any problems on the home front lately?" The fire monster's fake sympathy was obvious.

Sallie very much wanted to throw the other monster out, but she held herself back so as to not turn this into some sort of public spectacle. She still wanted to keep this problem away from Ryan as well. "What are you, my therapist?" she asked.

The other monster straightened and began investigating the basket. "No, just a scientist, and one that wishes to specialize in humans, as I've said before." She picked up one of the squares and turned in over in her gloved hand.

Sallie snatched the fabric back from her and began taking them out of the basket and placing them on the shelves behind her. "Not much of a profession, is it? There is only one human down here after all."

The monster went on as her back was turned. "True, but he's interesting enough to keep me busy for decades, as I'm sure you would agree." Sallie froze for the briefest instant. "And besides, the barrier will fall soon enough, and then I'll have as many humans as I'd like to occupy my time. You still haven't answered my question."

Dropping the fabric she held to the shelf, she turned back to the other monster and glared down at her. "No, I told you that if he hasn't told you, then I won't either. It's his business. Speaking of which, you either need to buy something or I'm going to have to ask you to leave. And since we're closed and you can't buy anything that makes your choice pretty easy." Sallie picked the now empty basket off of the counter and made her way to the back door. "I have my own life to get on with, thank you, and it does not involve entertaining you, Little Miss High Schooler."

Sallie's attempt to anger the monster only succeeded in producing a smile, more of a faint wavering in the flame beneath her eyes than anything. "It's funny," she began, "everyone says you're supposed to be excellent with kids, but if this is what they meant by that, I feel bad for Snowy."

Sallie walked back leaned over the counter, getting as close to the other monster as the heat of her form allowed. "Snowy has some manners, unlike you." She told her. Her phone buzzed in the back room, diming the music again. "Are we done here? I have somewhere to be."

 

Sallie waited for Alphys beneath the tree in the square. Lights still hung from its branches and all throughout the clearing, glowing softly in the town's perpetual twilight. After all the effort Ryan had gone through to set it up, the town decided it was too pretty to take down. They would likely stay there forever now.

Briefly, the monster wondered if the lights would stay up even if they left for the surface before she caught herself; such things hardly mannered. She spotted Alphys coming towards her from the northern part of town a minute later. The reptilian monster looked as uncomfortable in the frigid town as she always did. A heavy coat was wrapped tight around her hunched form and Sallie knew she must be eager to get out of the cold. She had told the doctor they could meet somewhere else, but she seemed appalled by the idea of possibly causing any sort of inconvenience.

So, they met under the tree before they would go either to Grillby's or her house and chat away the afternoon far from whatever chaos was happening at the lab until Ryan and Undyne finished up and headed home. Then Papyrus would join with Snowy and MK and they would all waste the evening away playing games or simply talking. She had come to enjoy it all a great deal, even if their group was a bit chaotic at times.

"Sorry I'm late." Alphys said as she reached the tree. "Something… something came up."

She would have said the monster looked nervous about something, but she supposed it was no more than usual. "That's all right. I had to finish up some stuff on my end anyway." Sallie gave the doctor her best smile. She and Ryan shared a similar problem: they never seemed to be able to fully relax. And while Ryan was always morose, with Alphys it seemed to manifest purely as anxiety. She tried her best to make the other monster feel at ease, but it did not always work, sometimes it seemed to only make things worse.

"Are you sure?" The doctor said fretfully.

Sallie almost giggled. "We got a huge order today," she explained, "for Mettaton, of all monsters. I could hardly believe it!"

Alphys blinked. "Really? That's odd… I wonder what he's up to."

Sallie waved away the monster's worry. "We can talk about that later. Come on let's go somewhere warmer."

She began to push the other monster towards Grillby's when she heard a voice that made her ears twitch. "Doctor Alphys?" it called, coming towards them. She turned and confirmed that it was indeed Ruby who had called the name. Sallie suppressed a groan and smoothed over her expression. She did her best to ignore the fire monster and tried to keep pushing Alphys toward the restaurant, but the other monster had unfortunately heard the girl and stopped to see what she wanted.

"Doctor Alphys!" Ruby said again as she reached them. "It is you." The fire monster was looking at the doctor almost reverently. Her voice was slightly higher as she spoke. "Hi, I'm Ruby, and can I say it is an honor to meet you." The fire monster offered her hand which Alphys took nervously.

"H-hi, Ruby. Nice to meet you too." The doctor stuttered.

Ruby was practically bouncing with excitement. "Oh, you have no idea how long I've wanted to talk to you." She began. "I've read all of your published research. I hope to be working at the lab alongside you one day myself. I actually submitted a letter applying to do so once I finished up school at the beginning of break."

"Y-you did?" The doctor looked more than slightly taken aback. "Oh… I, uh… I didn't see it. It must have gotten mixed up with… something else." The doctor rubbed her hands together nervously, seeming to look anywhere but at the other monster.

"Oh, that's fine. After all, you're here now." Ruby went on. "Oh my god, I have so many questions. I don't know where to start. Of course you'll probably want to know what I've been studying and how caught up I am with everything going on at the lab. I promise you, though, I'm quite versed."

Sallie cut off the monster by clearing her throat. "I really don't think you should be standing outside all day, Alphys."

Ruby jumped in again before she could say any more. "Oh, right, fellow Hotland dweller. You were going to Grillby's, right? Cool, I can probably get you free drinks. He's my dad." She whispered at the end, as if it were something to be kept secret.

Sallie rolled her eyes. "Don't you have something better-?"

"Of course," Alphys interrupted. "It's good to know that someone is still willing to join the field after everything that's happened. I would love to answer your questions."

The two began walking towards the restaurant. That time, Sallie didn't bother to hold back her groan.

 

"Wait a second, I recognize this cave." Ryan pieced together as he and Undyne made their way up through Waterfall. They stood at the mouth of a tunnel, the space beyond nearly sold black. Ryan kicked out with his foot and brushed against some grass that lit up as he touched it. The light rippled away into the cave until it faded back to stillness.

"Pretty neat, huh?" Undyne comment as she walked into the cave. More light blossomed out with each step.

"Yeah, I remember I came across it after right after I had talked to…" He paused, watching the light from his steps bounce from tree to tree as he remembered. "Gerson."

"So you have met him then." Undyne chuckled to herself. "The old fart lied to me. Yup, that's who we're going to see." The two continued on for a way in silence, each step of shifting light causing the space around them to look like an entirely different cave.

"He did mention something about how you used to follow him around." Ryan commented. "I guess that was true?"

The monster nodded. "He was like a father to me." She said softly. "He was the only one that believed in me for a long time."

"So why do you want me to see him?" Ryan asked as he tried to form a complete picture of the cave in his mind.

Undyne stopped and turned to him. "You're still trying to figure out how that power of yours works, right? I figured he might be able to help." The last of the light died out and they resumed their stride. "Did you know he's almost as old as the king?" The monster went on. "He's one of the few that were alive since before we were sealed up down here. If any monster knows about humans, it's him."

"Oh, I'm aware." Ryan told her. The ripples of light began to hit the edge of the cave and revealed to them the exit. "He was able to tell what I was right off the bat."

Undyne made a satisfied sound as they made their way out of the cave. "Then that will make things easier."

The two entered the cave where Ryan had first met the old monster. As they did, Ryan almost immediately heard his voice cry out over the rocks. "I already told you, I don't want any of your darned ice cream!" Then there was the sound of stone scraping against stone, followed by, "When will you take a hint and just leave me alone?" The old monster appeared around a corner looking more than a little annoyed. When he saw the two of them standing there, however, his jaw dropped and his expression brightened. "Well, well, well. I told myself I'd have to see it to believe it, but I still don't believe it."

The monster walked up to the two of them slowly. Ryan noticed he leaned on his walking stick more than he remembered seeing him the last time. He went up to Undyne and pointed up at her. "I'm still waiting for my apology, girl!" he said.

"Apology for what?" she questioned, putting a hand to her hip.

The monster tapped his stick on the ground and said, "A long time ago you said to me that you would never trust a human, that you would hate every last one of them for as long as you'd live."

"Well, things change." Undyne said defiantly, if with a measure of awkwardness.

"That's what I said then!" the other monster exclaimed, "and I recall that you called me stupid for saying it."

Undyne shook her head and chuckled to herself. "You remember the strangest things, old man. The worst things too."

"I will always remember when someone tried to tell me I was wrong. I'm too old to wrong, darn it." Gerson then turned to Ryan. The old monster addressed with curiosity. "Well, don't you look different? You look like you've finally grown up." The old monster started to laugh. Ryan simply nodded, not sure if the monster meant it as a compliment or not. Gerson then looked back and forth between the two of them and let out a breath. "Come in, I suppose. I already have tea set up."

The three of them walked deeper into the cave together until they reached the spot Ryan remembered the turtle had set up camp last time he had been there. He and Undyne walked behind the old monster despite how slow he moved, not wanting to be disrespectful. When they reached the camp, they all sat around a small fire. Ryan sat as far away from the delta rune drawn on the wall as possible. The camp looked much more lived in than it had last time. A small tent was set up to the side, and the fire was surrounded by stones and dug slightly into the ground. Gerson handed them each a cup and told them to help themselves to the kettle hanging over the fire as he sat down between the two of them.

"So, Undyne tells me you've been receiving her personal training." The old monster began. "Has she been treating you well?"

Ryan almost laughed at the thought. "No."

"Good," the monster nodded. "The last thing a warrior needs is to be pampered."

"Did you really think I'd treat him any different than the others?" Undyne chimed in.

The old monster expressed his mirth as he procured his own cup of tea. "No, I suppose not." He admitted.

Gerson turned back to Ryan and studied him silently once more, scratching his chin with one hand. "I'd ask you how things went since I last saw you, but I suppose you're being here answers that question well enough."

"I tried my best." Ryan told him. "It was just when I got there I realized I wasn't ready."

The old monster made a noise that Ryan could not tell whether it was a growl of annoyance or understanding. "There's no shame in admitting you're not ready for something, as long as you don't use that as an excuse to give up." Ryan nodded once more and the monster turned back to Undyne again. "So, what really brings you here? I doubt it's just a casual visit. No one goes this far out of their way just to say hello, even monsters."

"We wanted to ask you something, about humans." Undyne answered him and the old turtle shrugged.

"Well, I'd be the monster to ask, I suppose. Though, you do have a human right here, don't forget." Gerson chuckled.

"This is something not even Ryan knows the answer to." Undyne clarified. "Do you remember any humans have strange powers in the old days?"

"Everything about humans is strange, my dear." The old monster chuckled again.

"I mean something really weird; something that goes beyond normal or resonance magic."

"I know what you meant, girl, I'm just having my fun." Then the turtle looked much more serious as he gazed back to Ryan again. "Do you have one of these powers, my boy?" Ryan nodded, but before he could explain it, Gerson went on. "Let me guess, it's something that should be impossible, am I right? Some power that allows you to do what normally anyone should not be capable of even with magic?" Ryan nodded again and the old turtle made a grumbling noise.

"No, you're not the first I've met to say they could do something like that." Gerson admitted. "I don't know much about it either. I only know that it wasn't an ability that many humans had back then and that it could manifest itself in a number of ways. They only ever seemed to have one thing in common: in one way or another, it always allowed them the possibility to cheat death. A useful skill to have, no?"

Ryan and Undyne looked at each other with a mixture of emotions. Once more that had given more questions than it answered, and it got him no closer to figuring out what his power was really doing to him.

"The more I learn about you the more curious you become, boy." The old turtle kept on. He and Undyne turned back to him, wondering if he would add more, but the monster simply studied Ryan for another moment before saying, "Undyne, do you mind giving us a minute? I'd like to discuss a private matter.

Undyne looked between them curiously, but eventually she stood up without a word, though it agitated her visibly. When she was gone, Ryan spoke up before the monster could say anything. "Listen, if this is about what I said before I left last time…"

The monster cut him off with a wave of the hand. "I don't want to know anything about that." He said matter-of-factly. "I've put that behind me and I would like it to stay there." The old monster settled himself back against a rock and pulled out his pipe. "There's a much more important matter to discuss." He said as he filled it. "You've grown quite strong in the time since I last saw you. I have an eye for that sort of thing. So I want you to tell me, and no beating around the bush this time, what is it you plan to do with that strength?"

Ryan took the kettle from the fire with a forked stick that lay off to the side and filled his cup before answering. "All I want is to keep monsters safe and ensure everyone gets a happy ending."

"Everyone?" Gerson question.

"Everyone." He affirmed.

"And what about who you said you were going to save?"

"Just another part of that."

The old monster blew out a puff of smoke and for a second Ryan thought it formed the vague shape of a human head. He supposed the monster could have used some sort of spell, but he thought it more likely his imagination. "In my experience," he said, "those who fight for other's happiness often find little of it for themselves."

Ryan lowered his eyes to the fire, watching it play with the shadows along the ground. "I've already accepted that."

"Indeed." The monster betrayed nothing as to whether or not he actually believed him. "The world is shaped by individuals with that mentality, but never in the way they intended." The old turtle's voice turned barely lowered than a whisper. "Perhaps the world needs something different for a change." The monster looked at him and his cold expression cracked into a smile. "Ah, who am I kidding? Listen, kiddo, you're the third human I've ever put my trust into, and I believe humans have some expression like 'third time's the charm' am I right? So don't disappoint me, you hear? Now, do me a favor and bring my girl in here. I have something I'd like to discuss with her too. And this time I really don't want to see you again until you can tell me you did what you mean to do!"

 

"I've always been fascinated by humans." Ruby was saying excitedly. "What they tell us in school about the differences between them and monsters seems almost impossible. But, we're told so little and there seems to be hardly any records about the times before we were trapped that describe what they were like, I thought perhaps it would be a good idea to start with the souls we captured as you have been. If nothing else, maybe we could find a way to finally destroy the barrier and then I could begin my research for real." Sallie leaned her head in her hand on the table as she listened to the monster drone on to Alphys as she had been for what felt like hours. More than once she had thought of just leaving, but she didn't want to give the doctor the wrong idea.

"Is that why you're in Snowdin, because of Ryan?" Alphys asked when Ruby finally took a breath.

The fire monster nodded her head so fast Sallie thought it might fly off. "He just happened to come to my rescue outside of Hotland one day. Though I didn't know he was a human at the time, I had my suspicions. He was just so strong, what else could he have been? So of course I had to see if I was right the first moment I could. And if I was right, I had to take the opportunity to learn everything I could."

"I definitely understand that sentiment." The doctor glanced down at the tea in her hands in thought before her eyes landed on Sallie and she seemed to jump in surprise. "Oh, Sallie. I'm sorry. We've been ignoring you this whole time, haven't we?" she said apprehensively.

The rabbit monster shook her head. "No, go on. It's all very interesting." She hoped she was able to hide the sarcasm from her tone.

Alphys changed the topic anyway. "I did want to ask you, what was it that Mettaton ordered from you today?"

The question surprised Sallie slightly, but she answered the monster all the same. "A bunch of things: costumes, whole rolls of fabric, mostly a lot of sequin stuff, why?"

"It's a bit out of character for him, is all." Alphys explained. "Mettaton has always kept his projects as in-house as he could before. He's very much a 'if you want something done right, do it yourself' kind of robot."

"You know what; I got that from him too." Sallie added, letting the irritation from her memory leak through. "He seemed to not like the fact that he was even there, and he had the tendency to look at everything with… distaste." That was putting it mildly.

Alphys drummed her fingers against the side of her cup. "Yeah, Mettaton has always been a bit overcritical of himself. I think that sort of developed into how he sees everything now. He can be pretty self-conscious."

"Really?" Ruby chimed in. "I would never have guessed. He seems to ooze self-confidence on TV."

"'That's show business, sweetie,' as he would say." The doctor sighed. "He keeps pushing himself so hard, and yet he thinks no one appreciates his efforts."

"How so?" Both Sallie and Ruby asked at the same time. They exchanged cross looks before the doctor answered.

"He's obsessed with numbers; ratings, views, whatever. He constantly tries to push them higher and higher, emulating humans as much as he can to succeed. And if something doesn't work as well as he felt it should, he tosses it aside. He thinks no one likes him; he thinks all of his ideas are dumb just because he doesn't get any feedback either way. He doesn't realize that for most monsters, getting him feedback is nearly impossible. Compared to how many monsters there are in the capital, there are very few TVs and even fewer phones but almost everyone watches his shows. But he doesn't know that because he keeps himself cooped up all the time, trying to come up the next idea that he hopes will actually generate some sort of response. He doesn't even think to let monsters know where they can send him letters…"

Alphys seemed to sulk more and more as she spoke. Sallie wanted to get up and hug the monster. "Have you told him any of this?" She reasoned.

The doctor threw her hands up. "I've tried! He doesn't believe me."

"You really seem to care about him." Ruby commented.

Alphys nodded. "Mettaton was the first friend I had for a while. And now… well, now I guess he has his own life, and I should let him live it…" As the monster trailed off, an awkwardness settled over the table. None knew what to say next or where to go from there. Eventually Sallie threw her head back and tried to see out of the window behind them.

"Where are those two?" She complained. "I feel like they should have been back by now."

 

"Well, that was interesting," Ryan spoke up as they made their way back to Snowdin for the day. There had been silence up until they had made to the marsh a little ways from the entrance on the frozen forest's end. "So I guess it's back to the old grind again tomorrow then?"

"Well, yes and no." The monster told him.

Ryan gave her a sideways look. "What does that mean?"

"It means _you_ will be going back to training, but not with me. Not for a little while anyway."

Ryan paused to jump over a small pool of water. "Did I do something wrong?" He asked, catching up to the monster once more.

"No, I've just spent far too much time away from my actual job at this point. You know, managing the guard? Not babysitting you? Anyway, the new stock of recruits is in and I need to oversee at least the start of their training, or I wouldn't be a very good captain, now would I?"

"Understandable." He said. A thought came to him. "So, how many recruits are there?"

Undyne shrugged. "Not many, each year we get a couple dozen at most."

"How big is the guard?" he asked next.

"Besides myself? There are ten."

That surprised Ryan more than a little. "That's it?"

"Monsters don't cause a lot of trouble." Undyne explained. "We're mainly there in case of accidents, and the occasional rogue human of course." She chuckled at her own joke.

Ryan supposed that made some sense. "Where do all of the recruits go then?" he enquired.

The monster sighed, clearly getting sick of all the questions. "Most monsters that undergo the training just do it to gain some control over slightly-more-dangerous-than-usual resonance magic, then they go about their lives as normal. Some join for a time, most get bored after a year or so, others become sentries throughout the Underground."

Ryan nodded at the monster back. "So, I'm on my own for a while then?"

"I didn't say that. I've found a couple suitable replacements." Undyne turned her head to look back at him for a brief instant. The monster had a sly look on her face. "And I think you should be happy with my choice." She finished.

As the monster finished, Ryan's foot seemed to catch on nothing and he toppled to the ground into a puddle before he could do anything to stop himself. From close by, a familiar laugh rose up from a patch of grass, one he had not heard in some time. "It worked!" a voice exclaimed. "I can't believe that worked!" A small figure flew up out of the grass and over to Ryan as he rose from the mud. "What's the matter Ryan? I thought you would be some super powerful warrior-human by now?" Whimsalot said mockingly. "And yet you get caught by something like that?" His old friend went into another bout of laughter before waiting for an answer.

"Nice to see you too." Ryan mumbled as he got up. He immediately grabbed at the small monster, but he easily floated out of reach.

"You're going to have to try harder than that!" the tiny monster taunted.

The words were hardly out of the Whimsun's mouth before spikes of ice shot up from the ground. The monster only just managed to prevent them from skewering him. "So you have learned a few tricks." He said in a much more humble tone. " B-but you're going to need more than that though if you want to – Yikes!" The monster was cut off as the ice suddenly turned to flames and he had to dodge out of the way.

Ryan smirked. He was not about to let his prank slide. He blew the water and mud from his clothes with quick burst of air as he readied himself. Then the wind turned to fire that surrounded and enveloped him. He stared down the monster hovering above him, who now looked more than a little frightened.

Before he could do anything, however. A torrent of water hit him in the side, nearly knocking him off his feet again. His fire died, and he was dripping wet once more. "This is better saved for later, I would think, ribbit." Froggit said as he hopped into the open. Ryan looked down at the other monster in disbelief.

"You're both here, then?" Ryan asked.

"Yup," Whimsalot confirmed as he flew over to join the other monster. "Whimsalot and Froggit, Guardsmen Extraordinaires , at your service. We heard you needed a teacher."

Both monsters smiled up at him from the ground and Ryan could not help but smile back. It was good to see them again, and he told them as much.

"It's good to see you too, and hopefully this time we won't lose you again." The Whimsun's voice shook slightly as he spoke and he took a moment to gather himself before going on. "So, the Captain caught us up, and I don't believe close to half of the story she told us. I remember back when you had to have Loox light a fire for you, and now you can do all sorts of fancy stuff? I'll have to see it to believe it."

Ryan had been hoping the monster would say that. "Is that a challenge?" he goaded.

The two monsters exchanged mischievous looks before addressing him. "I might be." Whimsalot confessed.

Ryan dried himself off again as Undyne stepped up behind him and knocked him on the head. "As much I hate to break this up," she said, "it's late, I'm hungry, and there will be plenty of time for you to beat each other up tomorrow."

The other three looked disappointed, but they did not argue and began to make their way back to town.

 

"There you are. Where have you been?" Sallie asked as Ryan walked into Grillby's. The rabbit practically leapt up from the table and ran to meet him. "Why do you look… crusty?" she added as she looked him over.

They quickly hugged and Ryan said, "Waterfall, caught up with an old turtle, ran into some old friends."

Froggit hopped onto his shoulder on cue and smiled at the other monster. "Greetings, ribbit." He croaked warmly. The frog monster raised his hand. "I am Final Froggit, but you can just call me Froggit, ribbit."

Whimsalot then flew up next to them and gave Sallie a casual look-over. "You must be Sallie." He opened. "I've heard quite a bit about you in the last ten minutes or so." He stuck out his tiny hand to the monster. "Whimsalot, Royal Guardsman, older brother, and, for a time, I was also Ryan's babysitter."

Ryan rolled his eyes and Sallie giggled, taking the monster's offered hand carefully. "It's nice to meet you. You're Ryan's friends from the ruins, right? I've heard a thing or two about you myself. I understand your group used to get in a lot of trouble."

The monster shrugged. "Depends what you mean by 'trouble.' I'd say were more of an annoyance than anything, and only ever to the right people."

Ryan pushed the monster aside with the back of his hand. "Why don't you go be an annoyance to someone else then?"

"I don't see anything saying this is a no fly zone." Whimsalot shot back at him.

"Wait a second," Alphys began as she came up to join the group standing by the door, a look of puzzlement on her face. "I recognize that voice. You're one of the guards that were stationed in the core." She said to the hovering monster. The doctor did not look happy to learn this.

Whimsalot scratched at the back of his head awkwardly. "Hey doc, apologies for all of the late night calls," he told her. "That place just kinda… gets to you at times, you know?"

Alphys let out a sigh. "It's fine, it's just there's a lot about that thing I don't even know how to solve."

"I know, and my friend and I were wrong to get so mad at you."

"Do not lump me in with you, I never yelled at Doctor Alphys, not once, ribbit." Froggit turned his head away from the Whimsun distastefully and hopped off of Ryan's shoulder.

"Either way, it shouldn't be a problem anymore. We worked out a deal to never get stationed there again." Whimsalot finished.

Ryan saw that Ruby was also in the restaurant; however the fire monster was still sitting at the table. Looking as if she was unable to make up her mind about something. "Hi Ruby," he called and the monster seemed to jump. She smiled and waved to him before glancing over his shoulder and turning back to the table. Ryan followed where her eyes had gone. Undyne was still standing behind him looking like she wanted to be somewhere else. He filed it away as one more mystery he would likely never solve.

"Enough standing around," Ryan heard Sallie say, "Let's sit and welcome you two properly."

The two smaller monsters smiled at each other and nodded and everyone began making their way to the table. Ryan was stopped short though as Whimsalot flew in front of his face.

"Can we talk a moment?" he asked.

"Sure." Ryan followed Whimsalot and Froggit away from the table.

Once they were over to the side a little, Whimsalot's voice turned to a buzzing whisper. "You told them about the ruins?" He sounded appalled by the idea, though Ryan did not understand why.

"Yeah, is it some kind of secret?" he puzzled.

"You didn't tell them about the queen, did you?" the monster went on, ignoring his question.

Ryan glanced behind him. Everyone else in the bar seemed absorbed in their own conversations. "No, I left Toriel's name out of it." he told them.

The monster relaxed. "Good."

"Guys, I lived with her almost two months. I know she wants to stay missing."

As Ryan tried to make it to the table again he saw Ruby making her way towards the door. "Leaving just as we get here?" He shouted over to her. "I may have to take that personally."

The fire monster stopped midway through putting on her coat and gave him an awkward grin. "Sorry, I just remembered I still have some chores to do at home." The monster stepped outside before he could question further.

Ryan took a seat at the table next to Sallie. Whimsalot and Froggit shared the spot at his other side and Alphys and Undyne sat across from them. Both monsters looked like the act as physically hurting them in some way. "When did Ruby start hanging out with you two?" Ryan asked Sallie as a way to break the tension.

"Don't go there," was the only response he received from her.

"What did she want?" Undyne added.

"Apparently there are still some monsters who want to help me at the lab." Alphys answered curtly.

"More than you'd think." Undyne said almost as if it were unrelated.

"You're probably right, but not all of them are qualified." The doctor said in turn.

"I was unaware it was something that qualifications." The other monster followed up, still refusing to look at anything but the ceiling.

"Is there something going on here we should know about?" Ryan chimed in.

"No!" both monsters said quickly. They exchanged a look that went from angry to morose as their eyes met and then fell into silence.

"I'll go get some drinks." Undyne announced before getting up and making her way to the bar.

Shortly after, Papyrus entered the restaurant to join them with Snowy and MK on his heels. The two younger monsters were arguing about something as they always were, but it was nowhere near as heated as it had once been. They were both immediately taken by the sight of newcomers and took a seat next to Whimsalot and Froggit and the four immediately jumped into introductions and conversation while Papyrus slumped into Ruby's now unoccupied seat at the other end of the table.

"How's it going, bud?" Ryan said happily. "I feel like I barely see you anymore since MK showed up."

"Ah, yes." The skeleton said breathlessly. "My apologies, you see, I have been promoted!" Papyrus tried to sound excited, but he just seemed more tired than anything.

"You're not a sentry anymore?" Sallie asked him, managing to sound more excited than the other monster.

"No, I am a guardsman in full now. Although, it is not the king I have been tasked with guarding, it is him." the skeleton gestured to MK.

"Ah, I see…" Ryan nodded, understanding what that truly meant.

"Fear not, however, for Undyne told me it is all part of my training! Still, though, she could have been a little more specific about what 'child maintenance' meant. Turns out, it's a lot like dealing with Sans. Except when this one disappears, I actually have to go looking for him."

Ryan spared a glance to the other end of the table. MK and Snowy were now both engrossed by whatever story Whimsalot was reciting to them. "You could just tell her to take more responsibility." he suggested quietly.

Papyrus looked at him fearfully. "No, it's fine. And she said it was only temporary anyway. Her attention has been… elsewhere lately."

The skeleton seemed unwilling to say more as Undyne returned from the bar so Ryan turned his ear to the other four monsters once more. "When did you meet Ryan?" Snowy was asking.

"Right around the time he first fell down here." Whimsalot answered. "He was a lot different back then, could barely keep himself on his feet without me and my brother's help. He was practically helpless. Seeing him now is like seeing him all grown up."

"You're guardsmen too, right?" MK asked next.

"That's right," Whimsalot answered again. "After having to chase after Ryan and finding no trace of him, we decided to go to the most likely chance of catching wind of him."

"After getting lost for a while, ribbit." Froggit added.

"There's no need to bring that up." Whimsalot added irately.

"You seem to really care about him." Snowy said.

"Of course, we're friends." The two monsters turned to him and Ryan nodded at them with a smile.

"How did you guys meet anyway?" asked MK.

"Oh, now there's a story." The Whimsun landed on the table before going on. "You see, one day Ryan and our other buddy Loox were sneaking around…" Ryan shook his head and turned his attention back to Undyne and Alphys. The two monsters had not spoken a word since the guardswoman had sat back down and refused to look at one another. Sallie tapped his arm and gave him a look that said she noticed as much as well. The silence on that side of the table grew.

"So, I say we move this elsewhere." Sallie announced. "I've been cooped up here all afternoon anyway."

"Seconded!" Papyrus agreed. "Let's go back to my house. I've never liked it all that much here anyway."

"Why?" Ryan asked. "Plus, we just got here."

"Yes, but it's too greasy in here."

"But you don't have a stomach." Ryan argued.

"No, I have standards." The skeleton shot back.

"I think it's about time I got back to the lab anyway." Alphys spoke up.

"Are you sure?" Sallie tried.

"Unfortunately. It was fun. See you tomorrow?"

"Of course."

"Well, I'm staying a bit longer at least; I'm hungry." Ryan said leaning back in his chair as the Skeleton stood up along with Undyne and Alphys. MK noticed the movement and went over to join the leaving party as well.

"Now that's something I haven't heard from your mouth in a while. What's the occasion?" Sallie mocked.

"Returning friends of course."

"What about you two?" Undyne asked the other guardsmen.

"I think we'll stay a bit longer. A lot of catching up to do."

Snowy hopped over to Ryan as the group turned to leave. "I think I'm gonna go with them." he said.

"Starting to finally enjoy MK's company?" Ryan asked.

"No!" The monster defended. "It's more Papyrus than anyone."

Ryan's brow rose. "Really? Why's that?"

"He's funny." Snowy grumbled.

"I think Papyrus considers himself to be very serious."

"Papyrus is funny because he doesn't know he's funny." The drake reiterated.

"True." Ryan agreed.

Snowy left with the rest, leaving Ryan, Sallie, Whimsalot and Froggit by themselves in the bar. Grillby came to them with four plates of food as if he had been summoned, and they ate in silence for a moment.

"It's kind of strange, honestly." Whimsalot started. "Losing you in the ruins and then loosing you again after we saw each other in the core, I was afraid I'd never see you again, and now that we're here I don't even know where to start." Ryan was not sure how to respond to that, though he did not really have to, as Whimsalot only took a brief pause before going on. "You've changed a lot, even since we ran into each other in the core. You're a lot more… imposing now."

"Not that we think you're any different to the person we knew in the ruins." Froggit chimed in.

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no; not at all. It's just… It's weird seeing you after all this time." The monster gave Ryan an awkward smile.

He returned the smile with his own. "Well, I'm glad you're here."

Whimsalot nodded. "Us too."

"So, where are you guys going to be staying?" Sallie asked as the conversation tapered off. "I'm sure my aunt has a room free at the inn if you need it."

"Thank you, but we already have that taken care of. In fact, it should be ready by now."

"Where?" Ryan asked, not remembering seeing any new houses spring up in town.

"Want to take a stroll through the woods with us?" Whimsalot asked them.

The two looked at each other before shrugging at the other pair.

 

Ryan and Sallie trekked through the woods after Whimsalot and Froggit. The first half of the journey was spent by the two monsters telling of their time training to become guardsmen followed by Ryan catching them up on what he had been up to after he had seen them last. Eventually the conversation trailed off and the group separated a bit.

Sallie had hardly said a word since they set out beyond the occasional question. Ryan looked to the rabbit monster at his side. "So it's good to see you hanging out with Ruby. She could use some more friends around here."

Sallie scoffed at him. "The girl just jumped in and started talking to Alphys. It's not like I had much choice in the matter."

"Do you still think she's conspiring against me?" Ryan asked her.

"No," the monster admitted.

"Then perhaps it's time you tried being a little more civil."

"Oh, I'll show her civil." Sallie grumbled.

Her response made Ryan laugh. "You know, the two of you actually have a lot in common." he said jokingly.

The monster stepped ahead of him, making him stop, and glared up at him angrily. "You take that back right now or you are sleeping in the snow tonight." She told him.

Ryan threw up his hands as a sign of peace. "You really don't like her, do you?"

"Are you kidding me? She's completely inappropriate, she acts like she's entitled to everything, and what's worse is that everyone else just seems to act like that's perfectly fine."

Ryan shrugged. "She's a teenager. It's kind of expected of them to act like that."

"That doesn't justify it!" She countered, storming away from him.

Then, Ryan was able to piece it together and his mouth split into a grin. "Holy crap, you're jealous."

"I am not!" She shouted, turning back to him.

Ryan tried not to laugh, but ended up failing miserably. "You totally are! I may be oblivious, Sallie, but I'm not _that_ oblivious."

The monster looked ready to run him through, but ended up just turning her back to him again. "Well, can you blame me? She does nothing but flirt with you most of the time! It's as if the girl has no shame. And you just let her, which infuriates me."

Ryan stepped up behind her. "Sallie, do you honestly think I have _any_ interest in a fifteen year old girl?"

That got her to quiet down a good deal. "No, but the least you could do is stop leading her on."

"I have not led her on." he argued. "What do you what me to do, act like I hate her until she goes away?"

"Yes…" Sallie said softly.

Ryan snatched up the monster's hand and pulled her towards him. "Then, perhaps I should remind you just how little room there is in my heart for anyone but you." Sallie's face went red beneath her fur as he leaned in to kiss her.

"Perhaps you should." She agreed as they pulled away from each other.

"Hey!" Whimsalot shouted from ahead of them. The two other monsters had stopped and turned to them. "Just so you know, we can hear everything you're saying."

Ryan shot him a look. "So? Write a book about it." The insectoid monster dismissively waved at him and the two resumed their pace. "You get used to them." He said to Sallie.

A little bit further along, Ryan realized where they were headed. "Are we going to the clearing?" he asked the two monsters ahead of him.

"Yup," Whimsalot said back to him. He spun around to fly backwards and added, "Surprise."

As the group broke from the tree line, the familiar sight of the clearing met them. The place as a whole looked in much better condition than he and Undyne had left it. The snow gave no indication to the uneven, pitted ground beneath and it also looked… smaller. Diminutive trees lined its edge that he could not remember being there before. It seemed the monsters of the forest had decided to start fixing things in his absence.

The pile of burnt wood was gone as well. Where it had sat now stood a house. Single story and on the small side, it looked like it has always been there. Snow covered its roof though it had not snowed and smoke rose from the chimney already.

"They did a pretty good job." Whimsalot said absently.

"Why make it all the way out here?" Ryan questioned, though he suspected he knew the answer already.

"Well, I hope you missed this place," he began, "because starting tomorrow you're going back to it."

"Is that really such a good idea?" he questioned "There's a reason we stopped fighting here." A reason he still felt he had not surpassed.

"Don't worry about destroying the forest. I think you'll find our method teaching to be a bit calmer than Undyne's. So do you want to come in? Or perhaps you want to finish what we started earlier?"

"Thanks, but we should really start heading back, it's getting late." Sallie said before Ryan could speak up.

"Wait, why-?"

"It was really nice meeting you two. I hope you'll come hang out in town a lot."

"Definitely." The other monster agreed. "And I hope to see you here bright and early, Ryan." Ryan realized that trying to chime in would be useless and he shut his mouth and nodded. The two went into their new home and the forest went silent.

Sallie immediately began walking towards the edge of the clearing without a word. "Hey, wait!" Ryan shouted after her. The monster did not wait; she continued to ignore him until they were back in the trees where she turned and was looking at him expectantly, arms crossed in front of her. "What?" he asked.

"You still haven't given me an answer." She said without her expression changing. There was no anger, just expectation.

"An answer for what?"

"You know full well what Ryan."

Ryan sighed. "Can we talk about this later?"

"It is later," she told him, "two months later. Now, are we getting our own place or not?"

"Fine, if no is an option, then no."

"Why?"

"Because, I like your house."

"It's _your_ house too, you know." The monster stepped up to him. "Don't think I haven't noticed how you've _still_ been acting. Four months and you still walk around town like you're only here for a visit."

"In a lot of ways I am just a visitor." He reminded her.

"No, you're not Ryan. You have just as much a right to call this place your home as any monster. And I think it's high time you start realizing that."

"Do I?" Ryan questioned as he stared down at the monster. "Because the rest of the town doesn't seem to think so. They may have stayed off our backs for the most part up until now, but even the dogs are beginning to question why I'm still here. If we start to look like we're settling in more permanently now, they may not be so tolerant."

"That's ridiculous!" Sallie protested.

"It's not ridiculous," he maintained. "How would you feel if Ruby announced that she was moving here permanently after break? Now picture that feeling reflected a hundredfold."

Sallie opened her mouth to argue more, but no argument came. She realized he was probably right, as much as she hated it. She shook her head as she realized her defeat. "It's just… I had this whole vision in my head…"

Ryan wrapped his arms around the monster. "I know," he said to her. "I'm sorry." After a moment the monster hugged him back. "I was serious about liking that house though," he added. "It reminds me a lot of my old home."

Sallie let out a sigh and couldn't help but smile. "Yeah well, I'm worried that if we stay much longer my mom will leave because she'll think she's intruding."

"I wouldn't." Ryan reassured her. "I'm sure she understands the situation too."

 

Snowy had already returned home by the time Ryan and Sallie got back. The drake had expected them to join everyone at Papyrus's shortly after they had left, and after they did not show up, he had expected to at least see them at home. The young monster waited for them on the kitchen table until he finally heard the door open. "And just where did you disappear to?" He asked as they entered the room, arm-in-arm.

"The woods." Ryan answered frankly. "Whimsalot and Froggit decided to move out there."

"You never did say what brings them here in the first place." Sallie reminded him as she took off her coat.

"Undyne has to take a leave of absence in order to do her real job for a while." Ryan explained. He walked over to Snowy and patted him on the head. The monster looked up at him brightly. "Those two are her replacements in the meantime."

"Undyne's going back to the capital?" Sallie questioned, sounding surprisingly unhappy to hear that.

"Yeah, I figured you'd be glad about that." Ryan said and then added. "You know, I've been wrong about this so far today, but you've seem to be getting along with her a lot better lately too."

"What do you mean? We've always gotten along fine." Sallie said at the same time Snowy said, "Did you really just notice now? They've been acting differently ever since they got in that fight."

Ryan honed in on the last of the drake's words, as if he had heard wrong. "Wait, fight? What fight?"

The rabbit monster was adamantly denying any such thing, but Ryan was listening to Snowy, who told a different story. "You mean she never told you? It happened a couple of weeks back while you were forced into extra training. We were all at Grillby's and Undyne was talking to Sallie at the bar and one moment she just snapped."

Ryan could hardly believe it. He tried to picture Sallie angrily attacking the monster that stood almost a foot taller than her. He turned to the rabbit, trying to mask his sardonic grin behind his disbelief. "She does nothing but bad mouth you behind your back!" She shouted in defense of herself. "After all of the torment she caused you she could at least be a little more understanding that you might already be giving it your all and can't push you any harder!"

"So you really did try to fight her." He confirmed. "How did that go?"

Sallie folded her arms beneath her breasts. "I lost…" She mumbled.

"She got flattened." Snowy corrected.

"Snowy!"

"I didn't even see Undyne move." The drake went on. "Sallie was just standing one moment and on the floor the next."

Ryan nodded as he accepted the story. "Yeah, that's about the best outcome you could hope for in a match with her."

Sallie looked between the two of them, her mouth moved but no sound came from it. Eventually, she seemed to come to her senses and she stormed out of the room with a frustrated shout. Slamming the bedroom door behind her, the kitchen went silent.

"Come on, Snowy, we're going shopping." Ryan said after he was sure the monster was going to stay in her room.

"Cool, what are we getting?" The monster questioned.

"Whatever you want."

 

Later, after Snowy had gone to bed, Ryan was once again allowed in Sallie's room. The monster stood by the balcony and Ryan walked up to join her. "I'm sorry for making fun of you earlier." He told her. "It's just that I never would have expected something like that from you."

The monster glanced up at him for a second. "You're not the only one full of surprises." She said.

Ryan laughed to himself. "I guess not. If it makes you feel better, she'll be gone for at least a couple of weeks starting tomorrow."

"Ok, stop right there." She told him. "Before you start to think that all I did was try to attack her and left it at that, we did have an actual conversation afterwards and we cleared some things up. She told me that it _was_ you who asked to be trained and that at the end of the day she wasn't happy about some of the stuff she had to do, but that it was for your own good."

Ryan rolled his eyes. "I've been telling you that for months!"

"I know, but hearing it from her helped." She said. "Besides, I think those friends of yours will go too easy on you now."

"I somehow doubt that." He told her. "But we'll find out tomorrow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Side note: with this, I can now say my story is longer than a Wheel of Time novel.  
> You know, I actually went back and reread a lot of this for the purpose of writing this chapter… It's crazy the stuff I had almost forgotten. This thing is immense; it took me nearly a week to get through half of it, and yet I catch people powering through it in a day sometimes…
> 
> It's all nuts, I swear…  
> That seems to be my catchphrase as of late.  
> Anyway, sorry for the delay again. Second half should be up sometime tomorrow.  
> Until then, have a good one folks.


	26. Raindance (Part 2)

Ruby threw on her coat and took a deep breath. Not for the first time, she questioned whether what she had on would be enough to stay warm. Either way, this was not going to be pleasant, but she would put up with anything if it meant a chance at seeing a human fight with magic. She stood in front of the door of her father's house. It was still pretty early, but the monster had already left to start opening the restaurant. She could explain to him where she went later. Hesitating only a moment longer, she opened the door and stepped out into frigid world beyond.

She hated this town, if only because of the temperature, but could anyone really blame her? She hated the fact that this was the place the human decided to take up residence. What could he find so appealing about this place? Aside from the cold, it was too quiet. After living in the city, the silence was practically maddening some nights.

It was all _her_ fault, she thought to herself. Perhaps if she could push him away from her enough he would come back with her to someplace more tolerable. No, she should not justify it like that. Shaking her head, Ruby wrapped her jacket around her tighter, already wishing she had brought another. She had not intended to spend so much time outside when she decided to stay there, but that was unfortunately where he was most of the day, if he was even in town at all.

She checked to make sure no one who would question where she was off to was around before heading in the direction of the forest. She barely made it to the cliff before she realized she had no idea where she was going. She looked out over the forest, suddenly seeming much larger to her, and gulped. Then, a voice made her jump. "And just where are you going?" The voice said.

Ruby turned and found two of the monsters that always seemed to not be far behind Ryan's heels standing behind her. Snowy and MK, if she remembered correctly. They were almost her age, apparently, although they were barely half her height. The drake, Snowy, looked up at her with an eyebrow raised. The other simply seemed excited by something and did not seem to be fully paying attention. He practically bounced up and down and his tail shifted back and forth rhythmically. "You sneaking off to watch them too?" he asked animatedly.

Ruby smiled to herself, this was exactly what she was looking for. "I might be," she said. "You wouldn't happen to know the way, would you?"

"Sure do!" MK said excitedly.

"No," the other chimed in. "She is not coming with us. Sallie said no one should go near the place while they're training."

"Then why are you going?" Ruby inquired.

Snowy rolled his eyes. "Because stopping this one is impossible." He gestured to the lizard with his head. "I'm simply making sure all he does is watch."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah; I'll behave. Now, come on. We're missing it!" MK stomped his feet in the snow while he whined.

"Fine, let's go." Snowy groaned. He pointed a wing at Ruby. "You stay here."

"Are you sure about that?" The fire monster asked.

"Yes." He maintained, turning to follow his companion who was already halfway down to the bridge.

"Because it sounds to me like you two are going to do something you shouldn't be." Ruby went on as if the drake had not spoken. "It would be a shame if I were to tell a certain rabbit what you were up to."

The drake froze in his tracks and Ruby smiled to herself again. The small monster turned to glare up at her. "Fine, you can come with. But no one learns about this. I could hardly bare to live if anyone found out I was willing spending time with _that one_. Hey, wait up!" He shouted before gliding off down the path after the lizard. Ruby stepped quickly to catch up herself, and her smile grew. Horrid weather or not, this place at least had a way of keeping things interesting.

When she did catch up with the drake, she asked, "So, I thought the skeleton was supposed to be watching you two."

Snowy let out a chuckle. "Watch _him_ you mean." He corrected, glaring at the monster still a bit ahead of them. "I can go wherever I want. Problem is if I did, the town would get destroyed with him in it."

Ruby somehow doubted that was the actual case. "How did you manage to get away from him?" She asked next.

The drake looked up at her with a measure of amusement. "Well…"

 

Papyrus paced back and forth through the snow as he tried to collect his thoughts. After a moment, he stopped and resumed speaking. "Now children, it is important that when using magic in a fight you only use that which is well practiced." He explained. "Trying to use a spell you are unfamiliar with could be disastrous at best."

The skeleton was looking out over the river behind his house as he lectured. At his back were what he thought was Snowy and MK, however the only things listening to him that morning were two mounds of snow Snowy had crafted before the two of them ran off. Papyrus, in his uncertainty as to whether he was giving the right advice, had not been able to turn to face them and so had not noticed for over forty five minutes already.

A sound from his pocket almost made him jump. "Excuse me one second," he said to the nonexistent monsters. He went over to the side a bit and answered his phone. "Yes, Undyne?"

"How's the kid doing?" The guardswoman's voice came over the phone.

"Just fine." The skeleton assured her. "Listening intently as always."

"And the other one? Is he still with you? I know he's there on his own accord, but if something happened to him I would never hear the end of it from Ryan and Sallie."

Papyrus looked around a tree to where he thought the two younger monsters still sat. In the darkness of the forest, they only looked like shadows from where he stood. "He's still there. The two of them seem to be getting along better than ever too." He ducked back behind the tree, smiling to himself. "How is everything going on your end?"

 

"It's horrible…" Sallie said as she threw her head into her hands. She and Alphys were in Grillby's once more. Alphys sat in silence, unsure how to console the other monster. "I've caught her trying to sneak after Ryan twice so far, and now she's finally managed to slip past me. That girl does not know when to quit!"

Alphys took a sip of her tea before saying. "Well, I've only met her a couple of times myself now and she seems nice. Is she really trying to… get with him?"

Sallie glared at the doctor before she could stop herself. The other monster shrunk back a little and Sallie looked away, embarrassed. "She said as much to face… What do I do? Pretty soon she'll be spreading lies about me, setting up situations that make her look good and me look horrible, showing up randomly practically half-naked, and God knows what else." Sallie slammed her head down on the table in misery.

"How do you know she'll do any of that?" Alphys asked.

Sallie raised her head just enough to look at her. "My family is messed up, okay?"

"Well, I'm not exactly an expert on this kind of stuff, but couldn't you just tell him what's going on? That always seems to be what I'm screaming at the TV whenever something like this comes up in a show, which is a lot, and they never seem to take that route for one excuse or another."

"I can't tell him!" Sallie defended. "He has enough on his mind as is without having to worry about some wannabe love triangle." She crossed her arms and looked away, adding quietly, "Besides, he'd think it's childish."

"Is it?" The other monster inquired.

"I don't know anymore! I just want to keep him away from her."

 

"Tied him to a chair?" Ruby suggested.

"Tried, chewed his way out." Snowy told her, and the fire monster nearly gaped.

"You're joking."

"I wish I was joking. That one is like the embodiment of a spell: he'll just keep going until he accomplishes his goal or just burns himself out." The monster they were referring to still walked a short distance ahead of them, eyes straight ahead and not hearing a word they were saying. "If nothing else, I should at least get a few interesting stories for a comedy routine out of him." Snowy went on.

"You do comedy?" Ruby inquired if only to make conversation.

"I try to," Snowy said. He could not stop a smirk from forming.

"I have you ever done any shows in the capital? I think I've seen a Snowdrake perform in there before."

"That was probably my dad." He said half-heartedly.

Ruby nodded. "That would make sense, I remember him talking about his kids a lot."

"Really? Does he talk about how much of an embarrassment he thinks I am?"

"No, most of the time he just make fun of himself. I don't think he thinks he's a very good father."

"Hmph, well, he isn't."

Ruby looked down at the monster curiously. "Is that why you're living with Ryan?"

Snowy nodded. "Ryan's more family than my dad ever was. Although, Ryan's more of an older brother than a father."

"What about your mother?"

The young drake looked down at the snow. "She died…"

Ruby flinched, wishing she had not brought it up. "Oh… I'm sorry."

"We're here!" MK announced, though not overly loud. They were next to a cliff. Peering over the edge, Ruby could see a wide clearing below them about an eighth of a mile distant from the cliff. She could just make out three figures standing near the center, one far taller than the other two. She thought it could only be Ryan. Another was barely more than a speck.

"Surely we could get closer than this." She said. The other two both shook their heads.

"They'd know." MK explained.

"We tried." Snowy added

Ruby rolled her eyes. "I seriously doubt they could know we're here from all the way down there. I can hardly make them out myself!"

 

"We have company." Froggit announced looking up at the cliff not far from the clearing.

Ryan turned follow the monster's gaze he could not see anything himself. "You sure?" he asked.

"Positive." His friend answered. "Three; one's hot, one's cold and one is… erratic."

"Turns out our frog friend has quite the above-average perception." Whimsalot explained as he fluttered up to land on Ryan's shoulder. "Helped him get quite high marks during training."

"What do you want to do about them?" Froggit asked, turning back to the pair.

Ryan thought for a moment, based on the description his friend gave, he had a pretty good guess of who it was. "I say we invite them down." Whimsalot suggested. "I always did like having an audience."

"We'd probably scare them off before we got close." Froggit countered. "They obviously don't want us knowing they're there."

"Oh, they won't get away." Ryan told them. "Not if I can help it."

 

"I can't tell if they're not doing anything or if I just can't see it." Ruby complained.

"I thought this would be more exciting…" MK agreed. "Maybe not up to Undyne's standards, but they're supposed to be guards too, right?"

"We've been sitting here for like two minutes!" Snowy countered. "They're probably just taking a break."

"I swear they're looking up here." MK mused.

"No way," Snowy trotted up next to the armless monster who was on his belly as close to the edge of the cliff as he could get without leaning over it. At first he saw that no one had moved. Then, right before his eyes, the three figures below disappeared as the snow in the center of the clearing exploded into the air. An instant later, Ryan was standing in front of him and both he and MK fell back in shock.

"Howdy," Ryan said, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Ryan! How unexpected." Ruby said standing up from the tree she was sitting against. "We weren't expecting to run into you out here." She went on.

Ryan arched an eye brow at the monster. "Oh really? You three weren't trying to spy on us at all?"

The fire monster shook her head. "Of course not. I had heard you had been going to Dr. Alphys's lab more often than not to train lately. I didn't expect you to be out here today." She gestured to Snowy and MK who had frozen half way from getting back to their feet. "These two were just showing me around the forest a bit. They tell me there are a lot of interesting things out here."

Ryan's gaze lingered on Ruby a moment longer before switching to the other two. The smaller monsters' daze had broken enough for them to be standing up now. They nervously shook snow from themselves as they looked back up at him. "Is that the story you're going with?" He asked them.

"Yes." They both said, not all too convincingly.

"So if I go back and ask Sallie what she thinks you're doing, she'll tell me out showing Ruby around and not with Papyrus like you told us you would be last night?" he directed at Snowy.

Snowy's eyes dropped to the snow. "No…" he admitted.

Ruby opened her mouth to say something else, but another look from Ryan held her tongue. He let out a breath. "If you guys wanted to watch, you could have just asked."

"But Sallie said-" Snowy began.

"If I listened to everything Sallie told me to do and not do I would be chained to the wall in the basement." Ryan told him.

"We have a basement?" he asked next.

"No, that wasn't really my point. My point is we have very differing opinions on what's dangerous. If you had asked me a few months ago, I probably would have said no too. But now, I don't really see the harm in it."

"Really?" MK said excitedly.

Ryan shrugged and turned to the path that would lead them all safely to the bottom of the cliff. "Yeah sure, why not? There's just one thing I want to know though, how did you get away from Papyrus?"

"Would you believe it if I told you we fooled him with snowmonsters?" MK said as he followed after.

"Yes I would," Ryan said through laughter.

The two were soon a good deal ahead of Ruby and Snowy who had yet to move themselves. "You think quick on your feet." The drake told her.

"Thanks, though it did little good." Ruby admitted. "Sorry about that."

"Well, it worked out in the end." Snowy stepped in front of her and gestured to the other two as the disappeared behind a tree. The young monster smiled up at her. "Come on, I don't want to miss anything."

 

"Well, well, so these are our spies?" Whimsalot said as he floated up to the arriving group.

"Not very surprising, really." Ryan commented.

"Maybe next time you'll think twice before trying to slip past our notice." The monster went on."

" _Our_ notice, ribbit?" Froggit questioned from the ground below him.

"Quit being rude." Ryan told the Whimsun as he tried to bat him out of the air unsuccessfully.

Ryan made a gesture with his hand and three short pillars of ice rose from the snow next to the group of tagalongs. Taking the cue, Snowy took a seat on one and the other two followed suit soon after.

Whimsalot buzzed back over to them once more. "Now, we're doing you a favor by letting you stay and watch," he told them as he wagged his finger at the other monsters. "So keep quiet. This kind of training requires a lot of concentration, and you don't want to ruin your chances of ever being allowed back again, do you?" The three monsters remained silent and the Whimsun nodded. "I didn't think so."

Ryan came up behind him and flicked him back over to Froggit. "What did I just say about being rude? And exactly what kind of training are we going to be doing today anyway? Or would you rather just have a repeat of the last few days?"

"I was getting to that, and no." Whimsalot grumbled as he rubbed his forehead.

"Undyne informed us that you were having some difficulties with magic, so we were thinking about seeing if we could help with that… instead of fighting… ribbit." Froggit added.

"I said I was getting to that!" The insectoid monster complained.

"I'm not the one having difficulties with magic," Ryan corrected, "it's Undyne. She's been demanding I learn some sort of new magic for weeks now. If you ask me, I have enough under my belt as is."

"That makes sense." Froggit began. "Undyne is not known for her prowess in magic, let alone her ability to teach it to others. In the guard, that teaching is usually left to others." The frog monster hopped up to him before going on. "Let's begin with the basics, how do you form a spell, ribbit?"

Ryan closed his eyes and let out a breath, trying to remember exactly how Toriel had worded it for him so long ago. "Energy is gathered at the point where you wish the spell to form." He began, holding up his hand. "Picturing in your mind every aspect of the spell, you use a small amount of your own power to create the seed and then feed the gathered energy to give it its form and strength." A fire sprung to life above his hand as a demonstration. "At that point different aspects of the spell can be altered depending on what it is, the only extremes are set by how much power you are able feed into it." The fire in his hand cycled from red to green to blue before winking out of existence.

"For me though it works a little differently." Ryan went on. "Unlike monsters, who are able to maintain spells with external energy once they're formed, I use solely my own."

"That's really dangerous…" Whimsalot interjected.

"So I've been told. It _was_ dangerous until I discovered something: some power that makes it seem like I have and endless supply of the stuff, or near as makes no difference. I have yet to come close to the point where I feel like I'm using more than I'm getting. According to Undyne, that will come back to bite me if I'm not careful."

"True," Froggit agreed. "But there's a way around that, ribbit."

Ryan looked down at the frog monster quizzically. "There is?"

"You mean she never told you?" Whimsalot asked as he floated over to join them.

"Told me what?" He questioned, looking between the two monsters.

"Spells can be set with certain conditions." Froggit explained. "You've seen examples of this in the ruins, ribbit."

"If a spell is tied off you can decide what triggers or ends it effects," Whimsalot went on. "You can choose what a spell does and does not react to, stuff like that."

"Observe, ribbit." The Froggit bounded a little ways away from Ryan and Whimsalot. A square of ice rose behind the monster as he turned back to face the two. He nodded to Whimsalot.

"Check it," The tiny monster said as he flew in front of Ryan. Snapping his fingers, a number of double-ended spears appeared around the monster, almost as long as Ryan was tall, as one more suited to his size appeared in his hand. As he threw the spear in his grasp, the rest followed with it, flying straight at Froggit.

Froggit made no move at all as the weapons flew at him and Ryan could not help but flinch as they hit. The ice sheet behind the monster shattered and the spears all impacted in the snow behind it, but Froggit stood completely unharmed. The monster laughed and said, "That tickled, ribbit."

"See what we mean?" Whimsun asked as he turned back to Ryan and Froggit bounded up behind him.

Ryan thought for another moment. He remembered Papyrus using something similar at one point. He also had the sneaking suspicion that this trick was how Undyne was still able to beat him so often. It wasn't that she was too quick, she was just prepared with already set up traps. "So it's basically it's selectively permeable magic?" he asked.

The two monsters looked at each other. "I have no idea what you just said, but sure let's go with that." The Whimsun agreed.

Ryan let out another breath. "That's all well and good, but I don't think something like that will satisfy Undyne, not unless it's incredibly hard to do."

"It's pretty easy, actually." Whimsalot admitted.

"Which means, as useful as it may be, it won't really help." Ryan finished. After a moment more he kicked at the snow in frustration, while it was in the air the flakes burst into flame before fading away. "If I just understood how this freaking power worked!" He exclaimed. "But it's been months now and I'm no closer than I was in the beginning."

"I don't get it," Froggit said. "It's your spell, right? Surely you should know what you yourself are doing, ribbit."

"You'd think, but this spell is the most complex thing I can even imagine. I've tried to figure out what it does, but trying to trace its origins just gets me lost in a web that seems almost unending."

"That shouldn't matter." Whimsalot argued. "A magic spell can still be wielded without knowing every finite detail of it. You just need to have a firm grasping on what it should and shouldn't do."

Ryan shook his head. "Even then I'm at a loss." He explained. "I'm discovering more and more ways it's affecting me every day. And then trying to rationalize it all is another problem all together." He began to pace back and forth in the snow. "At first I thought, because of the energy thing, that it was just doing something like creating reserves of ATP."

"ATP?" The Whimsun questioned.

"Not important, because that can't be it." Ryan went on. "It only covers that one change. It doesn't explain things like the not needing to sleep. Sleep for a human is required because of recovery functions that only work when we sleep. If I'm not sleeping then they must be working anyway or I no longer need them. Add in the recovery speed, no longer needing to eat or replace things like protein, water or even oxygen, and countless other things, and it makes no sense. But the only way I can think of any of that being possible is if it were messing with my…" he trailed off as his eyes went wide.

"With your what?" The monster probed.

"That's it!" Ryan exclaimed instead.

"Wait, what's it?" The monster went on in his confusion.

Ryan still did not answer. He smiled down at the monster looking jittery from excitement. "I gotta go." He told them.

A moment later he was gone, a gust of snow falling where he once stood. The two monsters looked after where he had run off back towards town. Whimsalot threw up his arms in exasperation. "Okay," he said. He turned to the three monsters still seated nearby. They all looked as confused as he felt. "Do any of you know what that was about?"

Ruby and Snowy slowly shook their heads.

MK looked between all of them for a moment. "Does this mean they're not gonna fight?" he asked, more than a little disappointed. Snowy smacked him on the back of the head with his wing.

 

Ruby's first thought upon waking a few days later was trying to figure out who could possibly be at the door so early in the morning. Throwing off her blankets with a groan, she slowly made her way to the front door since the bell had already decided it would not stop ringing until somebody answered. When she opened it, she saw the last person she would have expected. "Ryan?"

"Hey," Ryan said awkwardly. "Did I wake you up?"

"No," she lied, wishing she wasn't still wearing pajamas. "What's up?"

The human scratched the back of his head before asking, "Are you busy today?"

The question made Ruby blink. "No, why?"

"You seemed in a pretty poor mood when we were out in the forest the other day, so I wanted to try and change that. Also I wanted to make it up for skipping out on you guys, but I can't find Snowy or MK anywhere so they get to miss out. So what do you say?"

The fire monster took a second to make sure she had heard him right, and then she still could not believe it. "I am awake, right?" She asked before she could help herself.

"I'm pretty sure," Ryan told her. "Unless I figured out a way to project myself into others' dreams without knowing it, but I doubt that. That's not a yes." He added after.

"Sure," Ruby said unhesitatingly that time. "Where are we going?"

He grinned at her and asked. "Ever been to Waterfall?"

 

"I'm not really the biggest fan of water…" Ruby admitted as they first stepped into the caves beyond Snowdin. "Or even humidity for that matter."

"Understandable," Ryan began, "but I wouldn't worry too much about it. I have more than one trick up my sleeve that will make it so water won't get anywhere near you. But we can still go somewhere else of you'd like."

"No, I trust you." She told him, regretting it immediately but still adding, "I should really be fine as long as we stay at least a little bit away from the bottom of any falls, and if I don't fall in myself."

"You sure?" He asked again.

Ruby nodded despite her discomfort. She did trust him, and she felt like whatever he wanted to show her would be worth it.

They descended quickly through the caves. Ruby watched every source of water carefully, but whenever they had to cross close to anything that might have been an issue, Ryan was able to use his shields to keep any potential dangers at bay. The warmth of the caverns in comparison to the forest also help to keep her calm as well and eventually she was able to feel at ease enough to ask, "So why did you disappear the other day?"

"I don't want to say anything yet." He told her. "I'm not one hundred percent sure if I'm on to something or not."

"Oh…" The two kept going deeper into the caves. They passed many sights that practically took Ruby's breath away, but they kept on going. The fire monster had had no idea this part of the Underground could look so different from the rest. She had always taken the river boat to and from her home in the capital whenever she visited her father. She had no idea how much within it could even exist!

They came upon a bin in the middle of one of the tunnels, clearly placed there on purpose. Ryan reached into it and pulled out an Umbrella. He opened it over their heads as he said, "We're gonna need this up ahead."

"Why, what's up ahead?" Ruby asked, suddenly very nervous once more.

"The way Undyne explained it to me," he began, "there's the huge underground river above us that runs over Waterfall. Cracks in the rock along its path eventually created everything down here. And in some places that running water has the effect of rain."

"Rain?" Ruby asked.

"On the surface, due to a number of factors that I'm sure I'll get wrong, water can, at times, fall from the sky. We call that rain." Ryan explained.

"I don't think I want to go to the surface anymore." The fire monster declared.

Ryan chuckled to himself. "It's not all that bad, come on."

Ruby grabbed him by the arm before he could walk ahead. "I'm not so sure about this anymore." She admitted.

Ryan turned back to her and smiled. "Don't worry, you'll be fine." He assured. "Just stay close. I wouldn't do anything to actually put you in danger."

After a moment, Ruby nodded. She kept a hold of Ryan's arm as he put the umbrella over both their heads and kept going. A bit further down the tunnel, Ruby began to hear something hitting the umbrella from above them. The glow of her form revealed thin lines that dropped to the ground around them, falling onto the stone or into small puddles. Ruby held on to Ryan tighter, though nothing hit her. Ryan let out another chuckle.

They emerged from the tunnel and into a cave with a large blue lake occupying most of it. The rain continued above their heads, hitting the surface of the water to break its mirror surface and scatter their reflected image along thousands of tiny ripples. They stepped to the edge of the shore. "Amazing, isn't it?" Ryan said absently.

"Yeah," Ruby admitted, her fear all but forgotten.

Ryan shifted next to her and she turned to look at him. He pulled his arm free and held out the umbrella handle to her. "Here," he said. She took it without a word and watched as he stepped out of its protection and let the rain fall down on him. "I always liked the rain." He said. "Everyone always associates it with sadness, but it always made me happy." He closed his eyes and raised his head. His too-long hair was already dripping and his clothes were all but soaked. "It's refreshing." He went on. "Makes me feel like there's still something to work towards tomorrow." He smiled to himself. "I'm probably not making much sense, am I?" he added as he turned back to her.

"No, I get it, I think." Ruby told him. "I may just be biased though."

"Do you want to feel it?" He asked suddenly.

"What?" Ruby said quizzically. Instinctively, she held the umbrella tighter.

"The rain, do you want to feel it?" He clarified.

"Ryan, I can't-"

"Sure you can." He interrupted. "This is a world of magic for Pete sake."

"It's not that simple…" The fire monster was cut off again as he started to walk back up to her. She hated that he had that effect on her.

"Trust me," he told her. "One more time."

He took the umbrella back from her; she offered little resistance in that regard. "I don't know…" she said softly.

"If I'm wrong about this, I'll do whatever you want. But you won't be hurt, I promise."

Ruby was not sure what she was thinking, but after taking a breath, she nodded.

"Here, take my hand and close your eyes." She did as she was told, trying her best to stay still. "On three, ready? One, two, three!"

Ruby braced herself for the pain, but there was none. There was something, it was hitting her, but it did not hurt. It… tickled. She opened her eyes to see Ryan with the umbrella folded at his side and smiling down at her. She looked down at herself and was amazed. Water ran off her arms in tiny drips as it gathered on their surface. She could feel it, it was cool, but it did not hurt.

She looked back up at him. "How did you…?"

"Selectively permeable shields." He said triumphantly. "Figured those out last night. So, what do you think?"

"This is amazing," she said breathlessly, still hardly able to believe she was able to stand in water. The fire monster raised her head in mimic to what he had done before and let the water hit her face. She could not help but laugh to herself.

"You can let go of my hand now, Ruby." Ryan said, breaking her out of her trance.

"Oh," she said as she let him go and hastily took a step back. She looked away as she tried to clear her head. When she looked back at him again she nearly let out a squeak as she saw he was taking his shirt off.

"You want to go for a swim?" he asked.

Ruby blinked, still having a miniature panic attack. "A what?" she managed.

"A swim." He said again as he gestured to the lake with his head. She must have stood there silently longer than she thought because next thing she knew he shrugged and said, "Suit yourself."

Before she could say anything, he ran to the water's edge and jumped in head first, disappearing beneath the blue surface. He popped back up a ways in and laughed. "I haven't swum in what fells like years. Although I guess you could count the times monsters have chased me off a cliff. You sure you don't want to join? The water's pretty shallow." To demonstrate, he rose from the water to the point where it barely went past his waist. "The spell's foolproof, I swear."

Ruby looked back down at the rain trailing down her arms and she felt the last of her fear wash away with the water. She took a deep breath and ran into the lake. The monster made it two steps before she stopped, finding it hard to move at all. She looked down at her legs. They were still there. She tried to take another step, slower that time, and found it a bit easier to move.

"Trying to run in water is a bit tricky." Ryan said, suddenly in front of her. "It's a lot thicker than air."

"So I've noticed." She told him her voice shaking with what she hoped was just excitement. She felt happier than she could ever remember being. This was all… impossible. Her, a fire monster, standing in water like it was nothing!

"Well, at least I think it's safe to say we know the spell works in all cases now." Ryan added.

Ruby's eyes shot up to him angrily. "You mean you weren't really sure?"

Ryan took a step back from the flaring monster. "I was sure, but you're a scientist, so you know how it works. There always has to be that chance that something else will happen until it's proven otherwise."

"I can't believe you!" The monster tried to kick him but only succeeded in splashing water in his face.

The act only served to widen his grin. "Oh, so that's how it is, huh?" He reached down to the water and cut his hand through it, sending up a torrent of water that almost knocked Ruby off her feet. When she recovered he said, "You really shouldn't mess with someone who knows water magic in water."

"That's cheating!" The monster exclaimed, for some reason not the least bit mad by his actions.

"There are no rules in this war." He said before diving to disappear in the water again. Ruby tried to spot him in the glow of the lake, but there was nothing to see. Likely he was also using magic to hide himself in some way. "Over here," his voice came from below her. She barely had time to turn her head before he grabbed her hand and pulled her down. The rest of her crashed into the water before he let go and she shot back up. Perhaps that was going a bit far so quickly.

Ryan popped up in front of her again. "Don't do that again." She told him.

"Fair, sorry." He said awkwardly. "Do you want to head back?"

She answered him by splashing more water in his face. "Oh, I haven't given up yet!"

The two went on for what felt to her like forever, and every time Ruby looked at Ryan she could feel something growing inside of her. She tried to stop herself, but she could not. How could she? She realized. With someone like him how could she not fall in love, as wrong as it was? She had not been wholly honest when she had told Sallie she'd already fallen for him; she just wanted to piss the monster off, but now? There was no chance, she told herself, but with everything they had already done today that defied the impossible, how could she not hope?

One thing solidified itself into certainty in her mind that day, however: with Ryan around, she never had to be afraid of anything.

 

Sallie watched Ryan return to town from her window a few hours later. That accursed fire monster looking like she was attached to him by the hip. She watched as he dropped her off at Grillby's and began to make his way to Papyrus's house to pick up Snowy.

The monster dug her nails into her arm in frustration. She had no idea what they had done together, but she did not need to. Whatever it was, it would be something the girl would hold over her and use against her until the end of time. She had had enough; it was time to do something about her.

Pulling out her phone, she dialed the number she had gotten from Whimsalot a couple of days ago. It rung a few times before the line picked up and an unfamiliar voice answered. "Hello?"

"Hi, is this the Royal Guard's Hall?" Sallie asked the monster.

"It is. How can I help you?" The voice on the other line sounded more curious than anything. Likely they did not get many calls.

"Can I speak to Undyne, please?"

"Undyne?" The monster questioned, clearly shocked by the request. "… Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Sallie snapped, letting some of her frustration through. She took a moment to calm herself before going on. "Just tell her it's Sallie."

"Okay, suit yourself." The voice said before disappearing.

A moment later in was Undyne's voice that answered. "This is a surprise," the monster began, "What do you want? And it better be important, I'm pretty busy."

Sallie took a breath before asking, "Remember how you said you owed me one for knocking me down in the bar?"

"I remember saying no such thing." She told her.

"Well, either way, I need your help." Sallie professed. "When are you coming back?"

The monster was quiet a moment. "I'm still supposed to be in the city a few more days. Why, did Ryan start something with the town or something?"

"No, nothing like that." Sallie assured her. "Is there no way you can get back sooner?"

"Not unless it's an emergency." Undyne maintained. "Is it?"

Sallie wanted to tell her it was, but the monster would likely laugh at her. "No," she said finally. "I'll tell you about it when you get back. It can wait until then."

As she ended the call, she certainly hoped she was not wrong.

 

"I am so sick of that girl!" The rabbit screamed. Slamming her glass back down on the table. "There seems to be no line she isn't willing to cross." On the other side of the table, Undyne and Alphys sat awkwardly away from one another and were both awkwardly looking at the monster across from them. Sallie knew the two of them weren't getting along the best at the moment, but she needed both of their help in this matter. In all honesty, they were probably the only two she could think of to help her.

She had just finished explaining the situation between her and Ruby, regretfully needing more than one drink to do it, although having Alphys know most of it already made it a little easier. In the last few days, while waiting for Undyne to return, the matter had only gotten worse. The monster seemed to be all over Ryan to the point where even he had to tell her to calm down. She wished he would just finally tell her to back off, but that was not the kind of guy he was, so it fell to her, and she was more than glad to do it.

The problem was she did not know how. She already failed to intimidate the monster more than once, that's where her help came in.

Unfortunately her help did not seem like it was going to be much. As Sallie finished her tale Undyne burst out laughing and Alphys looked like she simply wanted to be back in her lab.

"You can't handle keeping a freaking high schooler away from your man?" Undyne squealed through her amusement. "This is too good!"

"I'm being serious here." Sallie maintained. "That girl is evil!"

"She is not evil, though she _has_ been a bit… much at times lately, especially in regards to Ryan." Alphys agreed.

Undyne's laughter kept going. The monster was practically falling out of her chair now. "Are you going to help or not?" Sallie demanded.

"Oh, I'll help." Undyne told her. "If for no other reason than this is sure to be entertaining.

Alphys nodded as well. "What should we do?" she asked.

"Let's break her legs!" Undyne suggested, slamming her hands down on the table and making the other two jump.

"While I could argue why that would most likely be impossible," Alphys said as she pushed her glassed back up her nose, "I don't think we need to go that far." As the doctor spoke, Sallie cut off her agreement with the warrior's plans. Alphys turned her attention to the other monster. "How about we all just talk to her? She needs to understand that what she's doing is wrong and it's rude to both you and him. Maybe if we all tell her she'll be more inclined to believe it."

Undyne chuckled. "Alphys suggests talking as a way to solve a problem? Now I'm afraid the mountain's going to fall on our heads."

The doctor looked up at the guardswoman nervously. "Why, am I wrong?"

"No," Sallie jumped in before Undyne could say anything. "You're right, we should talk to her and the sooner the better."

 

They decided the lab would be the best place to set things up. Out of the three of them, Alphys had the best chance of getting the fire monster to them by a good deal, Sallie had reasoned. After that, it was simply a matter of waiting.

In less than an hour, their target walked through the door, but it was not Alphys that met her, much to Ruby's shock. It was Undyne. The guardswoman stood just inside the door, cutting off her easiest exit as soon as she was in the lab. Undyne clapped her hands to turn on the lights and the fire monster turned at the noise. "Oh, hello," Ruby said, trying to hide her nerves behind courteousness. "Is Doctor Alphys around?"

Undyne continued to stand by the door, picking at her nails with a knife. "She'll be out in a minute." She said without looking at the other monster. "Why don't you take a seat?" The monster gestured with the weapon to the only chair in the room.

Ruby did as she was told, sitting stiffly in the chair as she waited, trying her best not to look at the other monster. "So, what brings you here today?" she tried to make conversation.

"Oh, you know," was all Undyne said, still examining her nails.

"I… I see." Ruby turned to look at the computer on the desk behind her. It was off, and the notes surrounding the monitor were about nothing she could decipher. A whooshing sound made her turn back around in time to see Doctor Alphys emerge from a doorway before another whoosh came as the door closed behind her. "Hello, Doctor," Ruby greeted. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"

Alphys rubbed her hands together nervously as she walked up to her. "Well, it's not exactly what _I_ wanted to talk to you about…" she admitted.

"What do you…?" Ruby cut herself off as Sallie walked up from behind her seemingly out of nowhere and went to stand besides Alphys. "What do you want now?" She said to Sallie, forgetting to mask her anger in her surprise. "What is this Alphys?"

"Consider this an intervention." Sallie told the fire monster. "I've had quite enough of you and how you behave around Ryan, so I think it's time I made something abundantly clear: he will never be yours." Ruby opened her mouth, but Sallie cut her off. "And before you go telling me that it's not up to me this time, allow me to explain that it has nothing to do with what I think or what I want." Sallie stepped up close to the monster and made sure she was looking her in the eye. "You are a child, still in school; you know nothing and yet walk around like you have all the answers in the universe. And despite all of your questions, you still know nothing about Ryan, about who he is or how he feels. He is under an unbelievable amount of stress because of the position he is in, and you constantly trying to pointlessly get in his pants is not helping."

"Sallie, I think that's enough…" Alphys said, nervously putting a hand to the rabbit's elbow. Sallie looked like she was going to say more, but backed off to calm down. The doctor took up her place. "Um… Sallie kind of explained most of what's been going on between you three, and I'm inclined to agree with her." The monster scratched her cheek and could not bring herself to look at Ruby. "You trying to drive a wedge in their relationship isn't very nice, and… Um… Undyne could you help me here?"

"He's too old for you." The warrior said, still not looking up at any of them. "Don't know why any more than that needs to be said."

"Right, there is that…" Alphys went on.

Sallie stepped up to the fire monster once again. "Look, I don't care what you do, or where you go, but this has to stop. I've kept our little dispute away from Ryan so far, but if it continues then I'll just get him to tell you off. Up until now he's just thought he was being nice to you, but I'm sure the truth will make him view that differently."

Ruby had not tried to say a word during the whole thing, which surprised Sallie. Probably in preparation for some pompous comeback, but she was ready to shoot that down as well with Undyne as backup.

Contrary to how Sallie thought the other monster would respond, however, she seemed to relax. "So I guess that's the end of it, huh?" Ruby sighed. "I'm sorry, Sallie. I didn't mean for things to get like this. At first I just wanted to study Ryan, I swear, but… over time I grew to realize that I liked him a lot. And I told myself it was dumb, and that it would never work, and tried to tell myself that it wasn't how I really felt and that it was all just scientific fascination! And he had you, but that only made things worse."

Ruby reached up and wiped her eyes. Sallie had no idea if the fire monster could cry, but if she could, she definitely seemed to be. Her voice shook slightly as she went on. "I don't take challenges very well. The capital has grown… very competitive in a lot of areas as the crowding gets worse. Plus, growing up nowadays and saying you want to be a scientist gets met with a bit of backlash. In that position, I learned that if you really want something, you have to go for it with everything you've got, even if it means stepping on some toes and taking advantage of some monsters. I know that's wrong, I just…" The monster broke down burying her face in her hands. "I screwed everything up, didn't I?"

"It's okay, Ruby. You'll find someone eventually." Alphys said comfortingly.

Sallie looked away and wanted to grind her teeth. She was angrier at herself now than at the other monster. "I guess I didn't really help either…" she admitted. "I wasn't exactly nice to you from the get-go."

"You had every right to be though." Ruby told her. "You were right that first day we met. I do have a tendency to act like I own everything." Sallie looked up at the monster in surprise and Ruby smiled at her. "Despite my actions, I'm pretty self-aware, and I hate the way I behave sometimes. It's just… it's how I learned to adapt. And I'm sorry for bringing my bad habits to Snowdin. None of you deserved that. Can you forgive me?"

A large part of Sallie wanted to say no, and she almost did, but Alphys's look added to the fire monster's did not help. Eventually she let out a breath and said, "Fine, but there's one thing you have to do first."

 

Early the next morning Ruby found who she was looking for at the base of the cliff that held the town of Snowdin. Ryan sat cross-legged beneath the frozen falls that loomed at the edge forest with his sword over his knees and his head down. For a moment the fire monster was not sure if she should disturb him.

"What can I do for you, Ruby?" He said without moving.

"Um…" Ruby began, suddenly very much wanting to be anywhere else. She had told Sallie she would do anything if it meant forgiveness, but she was not sure she could bring herself to do what she was about to do. "I'm sorry." The fire monster said meekly.

"For what?" Ryan asked, still not looking up from the sword in his lap.

"For how I've been acting towards you since I got here." she clarified.

Ryan chuckled and stood up from his spot on the snow, sheathing the sword at his side. "You mean like a teenager?" he mused. "You don't need to apologize for that. What brought this up all of the sudden?" The monster did not look up at him. She stared at the ground and shuffled awkwardly with her hands behind her back. "Wait, did Sallie put you up to this?"

"Not really…"

Groaning, Ryan stepped around the living flame and started to walk away while mumbling to himself, "can't let something like that go for five minutes?"

"Wait! Ryan, she _is_ right. How I was acting towards you and her was wrong. I'll try to stop but, it'll be hard. The problem is that I really, really, really like you."

"I know," Ryan said without turning.

Ruby's head snapped to the back of his. "You did?"

"It was pretty obvious, even for someone like me." He admitted. "I let it go for the most part because I was trying to be nice, but that probably wasn't very fair, was it?" He turned to look down at her with that awkward smile before adding, "I guess in that case I should be the one apologizing, huh?"

Ruby shook her head. "No, it's my fault," she maintained. "I should have had better control over myself from the beginning… I just couldn't help myself, you know? The easiest thing to do would be to leave, but I've come to realize why my dad likes this place so much, and I've come to like a lot of the people here. I think it's time I tried to be with them not as a nuisance but as a friend. I'll try to get over you as fast as possible too, but I make no promises."

Ryan chuckled again. "Well, there are a lot of monsters out there that are a much better pick than me, so I'm sure it won't take long. In fact, I could point you towards a few candidates right now, if you want."

Ruby smiled. "If you say Papyrus, I will slap you." They both laughed at that thought.

"Now that that's smoothed over, how about we go to the lab?" Ryan suggested. "I hear Undyne's back. You may get a chance to see something interesting."

 

Ruby watched on the screen a video of what was going on in the room next to her. Ryan had insisted Alphys set up a camera in the room again despite her protests and cites to all of the previous attempts to do so ending badly. He had promised her that it would not get destroyed this time. Undyne seemed to look like she took that as a challenge and Ruby had wondered how long it would truly last.

"Is it still working?" Alphys asked from behind her.

"I don't think they've even started yet." She told the other monster. Both of the figures on the screen had yet to move since they had stepped into the center of the room and the fire monster was beginning to question what it was Ryan wanted her to see.

Meanwhile in the room, Ryan and Undyne continued to stare each other down, both of them waiting for the other to make the first move. "You manage to come up with anything while I was gone?" Undyne asked him.

"Nothing new, no." he admitted. "Whimsalot and Froggit were very helpful in other respects though, before you go blaming them."

"You know what that means then." She said sounding all too excited. "So what will it be this time?"

"How about today I won't use illusion or shields?" Ryan suggested.

"Are you sure? Those seem to be your favorites as of late."

Ryan shrugged. "I have a feeling I won't need them."

"Oh? Are you hiding something from me?"

He smirked. "You'll just have to see."

Ryan charged at the monster, sword suddenly in his hand. Undyne blocked with her vambrace as a spear appeared in her other hand. "I see you've gotten better at least one thing." She commented referring to his magic wrought sword which had managed not to shatter in response to the blow. "But you're gonna need more than that!" The monster roared as she swung her spear at him.

Expecting Ryan to jump back, she was surprised when he blocked the attack the same way she had his own. Ryan smirked as the monster looked at him questioningly. "I thought you said you wouldn't use shields?" She examined.

"I didn't." Ryan said simply. He pushed the weapon away and pulled back his sleeve revealing his forearm. The top half of it shone like steel.

Undyne's eye widened. "How did…?" she began before it came together. "You figured it out?"

Ryan's smile grew. "I figured it out."

Undyne let out a bout of excited laughter and then the fight resumed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter song: Raindance by Anzo.  
> Chara next week, I promise.  
> Also, happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate.


	27. Alone Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings from my college from which I am currently posting this!  
> I really didn't want to delay this another day...

Muffet tore her attention away from the stack of papers in front of her as she felt a vibration somewhere far down the length of her web. She was not expecting anyone, and it certainly did not feel like one of her spiders. So then who was it that could have stumbled all the way up here? Her pet, who rested at the side of the table she was sitting at, caught the feeling a moment later. It sat up and growled down the dark corridor in the direction the disturbance had come from.

"Now, now," she said, calming the creature, "let's not jump straight to the worst, shall we? Let's wait and see who decided to visit without sending a message first. I'm sure they won't make the same mistake again." Her pet resettled itself and, seeing as her intruder was still a ways away, Muffet turned her attention back to the pile of reports she had been sorting through before the interruption. They were her only window into the world outside her web. She rarely ever left the mechanical workings of the core above Hotland, and so she relied heavily on the news brought by her spiders and a few trusted monsters. And while what she read was certainly interesting, it was not exactly uplifting.

Close to home, everyone was complaining about random spikes in temperature, machines that had been dead for years suddenly coming back on, spiders disappearing and reappearing in completely different places with no memory of what had happened, and whole sections of her colony needing to be abandoned due to sudden spikes in electrical fields. She recalled a similar instance of these phenomenon when she was much younger and knew that it meant the core was drawing significantly more power than it usually did. To what end, she did not know. She only wished someone had told her so she could have avoided this whole headache. It was her own fault though, really. No one actually knew this was where she made her home, and part of an agreement with one of the old head scientists at the lab kept her away from there. Luckily, no one had been hurt yet and it seemed the worst of the issue was behind her.

Farther away, it was little better. Waterfall was completely silent, she had not gotten word from any spider in the cave system for months now and she was beginning to grow very worried. The last report she had seen was that some had gone to investigate what some said sounded like talking deep within one of the lower caves, and then nothing. News from Snowdin was even stranger. The few eyes she had all the way out there reported sudden explosions, whole sections of the forest disappearing only to be back the next day, and an overall increased sense of irritability from all of the residents. She did not give much stock to those reports. The cold did strange things to spiders sometimes.

In the capital it was business as usual. That robot, Mettaton, seemed to be cooking something up. She never really liked him. He had a tendency of trying to build his empire where she already had her's. She would have to keep an eye on him, unfortunately she did not have many to spare at the moment.

There was still nothing about the one thing she had been looking for: what happened to the human? He had never made it to the king, that much was obvious, but why? Where had he disappeared to? Was he even still alive? There was not a peep to suppose anything, and it began to worry her more than the plights of her own spiders.

She had put hope in the human. She had believed he could succeed where all others had failed, and now it seemed that hope was dashed. Muffet sighed and put down the last of the pages. Another vibration told that their guest was close now. She stood up to hide somewhere she would be able to see them long before they saw her and she waited.

A few minutes later, a figure resolved itself in the shadowed corridor. Muffet readied to spring a trap on their unsuspecting intruder when she noticed something: a red glow coming from the figure itself. She knew of only one person it could be immediately and nearly laughed in joy. A smile split her face as she stepped from the shadows to greet her guest more graciously.

Ryan walked through the web filled domain with very little of the fear he had last time he had been there. The place overall seemed less foreboding to him, though he did not know if it was due to the changes in him or a change to the place itself. It was certainly emptier. His enhanced sight revealed only a few spiders crawling through the darkness this time. There was only one spider he was interested in seeing, however.

Muffet stepped out from behind a pillar of web twice as thick as he was and smiled at him as he approached. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise," she said before dropping into a curtsy. "It's been a long time. I was beginning to think you had forgotten about little ol' me."

Ryan returned her greeting with a bow, guessing it was what she expected, before scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "I guess it has been a while, hasn't it? Sorry, time has been escaping me lately."

"It's no matter. You are here in the end either way, and that is all that matters. Shall we?" The spider monster gestured him further into her lair and Ryan followed. They stopped at the table Ryan remembered from his last visit. Clapping two of her hands, spiders descended from the ceiling to pick up the stacks of paper from the table and replace them with an intricately designed tea set. It was different than the one he had seen last, though he could imagine the monster having several very easily. They really were quite nice; perhaps one like it would make a good thank you gift for Sallie's mom for putting up with him for so long. Did she even like tea?

"Sit please," Muffet said, dragging him from his thoughts and he did as suggested. "Forgive my bluntness, but you wouldn't have happened to bring some of the money we agreed upon last time, did you?"

Then Ryan remembered why he had neglected to come until that moment. He felt bad for not keep up his end of the deal. So much for asking for a tea set either. "Sorry, I'm flat broke at the moment." He admitted. "All of my funds have been going towards… fixing other damages."

Muffet sat down across the table from him. "Not to worry dearie, you have all the time in the world to pay me back, and for you I won't even charge interest." She giggled behind one of her hands. Ryan chuckled nervously, wondering if she was joking or not. "There are other ways besides coin that you can start to pay me back, though." She went on. "Information is worth its weight in gold, and I've been looking for any bit I could get about you ever since you left."

"You haven't fallen for me too, have you?" He asked jokingly.

Muffet turned her head to the side slightly. "Hmm?" he could not tell if the monster was confused or angry at his words. Emotion was hard to read in her glossy, black eyes.

"Nothing, never mind…" Another spider floated down on a thin web and poured tea into the cup sitting in front of him and he gladly took a sip to keep himself from talking.

"As I was saying," the spider monster continued, "I've wanted to learn of what happened to you after out last encounter for some time, and up until now I have been wildly unsuccessful. So, what better source than the Underground's rogue human himself? So, tell me, what happened after we last saw each other. I thought you were going to see the king?"

Ryan stirred a cube of sugar into his tea from a bowl near him. "Yeah…" he started awkwardly. "That has been postponed until my chances of surviving that encounter are a little higher."

Muffet nodded in understanding. "I see. What have you been up to in the meantime then?"

"I don't even know anymore…" He said quietly. "At times, it feels like everything I shouldn't be doing, but what else could I do?"

"I don't follow." The spider monster interrupted and Ryan realized he was thinking out loud.

He decided to try again. "Let me start from the beginning. For a little over five months now, I've been hiding out in Snowdin. Although, hiding out isn't really right. The whole town knows what I am, and they… tolerate my presence while Undyne trains me to survive my inevitable run-in with the king.

Muffet's eyes widened at his words. "The king's own guard teaching a human how to fight him? There's certainly a measure of irony there."

Ryan nodded. "Indeed. Anyway, that's what's been eating up most of my time."

"Then I am all the more surprised that you would come to visit. To what do I owe the pleasure?" The spider monster inquired, finally getting to the heart of the matter.

Ryan looked down into his tea. "Peace and quiet, mainly. Life has gotten… quite hectic lately."

Muffet giggled into one of her hands again. "That sounds like quite the understatement."

"Oh it is." Ryan said and they both laughed.

"Well, please, dearie, do tell. I love a good drama."

The monster seemed genuinely interested, so Ryan took a deep breath. "Where do I even start?" he mumbled. "Everything had sort of developed into this giant whirlpool of chaos around me ever since I decided to take a step back and try a different approach to all of this.

"Besides Undyne, I have two other monsters training me: two of the first friends I had made since I found myself here, and it still shocks me that they followed me this far. In addition Doctor Alphys has lent her help as well, providing us with a place to train without having to worry about unwanted eyes or destroying everything around us. Eventually even she got sucked into our group in a much more familiar capacity.

"After burning down Undyne's house – don't ask – she moved in with Papyrus, effectively kicking me out of the place I had been staying, so I moved in with my girlfriend, Sallie. A little ways down the line, the two of us took in a Snowdrake named Snowy who was having some family troubles at the time. He still is, I guess. I haven't seen a feather of his father since he's been living with us." Ryan took a pause as he sipped his tea. "It's been weird with Snowy around. It's like I have a kid. I'm not sure how I feel about that yet. He looks up to me way too much…"

Ryan looked up at the monster across the table from him. Muffet had two of her hands beneath her chin and a second set held her tea and saucer out in front of her. She was smiling at him patiently. "Sorry, I got off topic." He said next.

The spider monster shook her head. "Don't be sorry, this is all very important. I would hate to miss out on details like this." She sipped her own tea before looking back at him again. "This girlfriend of yours interests me though. Tell me more about her."

Ryan chuckled to himself. "Sallie was the one that kept my head on my shoulders the first time I found myself in Snowdin. What started as a few accidental run-ins quickly became something much more. We're a mess together, but neither of us would trade it for the world. If I ever figure out what it is she sees in me, I probably wouldn't believe her.

"Between the training, we try to squeeze in as much time together as we can. At first, having Snowy around put a bit of a dampener on that, but another newcomer stole his attention away from us and things became a bit more peaceful in our corner of the world. Well, at least for us.

"That proved to be short-lived, however, because, with Snowy's distraction, came another. And though I didn't know about it at the time, there was a bit of a shadow war going on between Sallie and her.

"Our group just seemed to get bigger and bigger, and once everybody was there, that's when the real chaos began. A lot of it was my fault, I will admit. But just when I had thought everything had finally managed to smooth itself over, yet another storm was thrown at me that I didn't see coming." He paused and swirled the remaining tea in his cup, wishing it were something stronger instead. "My first mistake was going to New Home."

 

Ryan sat on the cliff above New Home, the fake stars above casting their dim light upon the city. He watched life go on below him, monsters moving to and fro all seemingly with a purpose, but none with a rush. Every monster below seemed to move at a leisurely pace as if they all thought that whatever they had to do would get done when it got done, even at that late hour.

He envied that, as he watched from on high. More than any other trait he had come to differentiate between humans and monsters was their built-in patience. He wished he could be like that; it would have saved him so much anxiety in life. He had once thought that his time with monsters would somehow cause that trait to rub off on him, but as of late his impatience had only seemed to grow worse.

More often than not, he caught his gaze going to the castle in the distance. The structure pulled at him; the dark void that seemed to surround the stone drawing him towards his fate. No monster went near, he realized. Much of the wall that surrounded the fortress hardly lived up to the name. It was all open to anyone, and much of the space around it was courtyards filled with empty benches. He wondered why that was.

Ryan felt a tickle at the edge of perception. He turned back towards the tunnel and for a second thought he saw something move behind a rock near its mouth. He waited, trying to sense even the slightest movement, but there was nothing.

Dismissing it as his own paranoia, he turned back to the city only to find something obstructing his view. He jumped back from the monster that had suddenly appeared in front of him. The spherical monster floated in the air over where he had been sitting. He immediately knew what kind of monster it was from his time in the ruins: it was an Astigmatism. The monster's main eye was closed, and it looked up at him curiously with its other two as it slowly descended to the ground. How did it do that? he wondered, and how had it gotten in front of him like that? The monster darted off before he could say anything, much faster than he expected it to. For a moment he thought it was gone, but then it was suddenly in front of him again, looking him up and down. How did it do that? Then it was behind him, grabbing his shirt and mumbling something to itself. Ryan tried to get away from the monster but it was already in front of him again tapping on his knee as if unsure what it was. Ryan tried to grab it that time, but it was no use. The monster was seriously fast. It jumped around him quicker than he could keep track.

Finally, he had enough. Wrapping a shield around the entire cliff, he shrunk it down until it surrounded only the monster and he kept it in place. Letting out an aggravated breath, he said "Could you stop that?"

The monster did not answer; it simply continued to look up at him curiously. Ryan was about to ask it what it was doing, but then it closed its eyes and opened its mouth. One large eye now took in the world. There was a flash of light, and the monster was gone.

He looked around him, but it was nowhere to be found. "The heck was that about?" Ryan said, scratching his head.

"What are you?" A female voice said behind him.

Ryan turned, but there was nothing there. He felt something tugging on his shirt and looked down to see that the monster was staring up it. "You're a human, right?" the Astigmatism went on. "But there's no glow… How did you do that?" she went on.

Ryan blinked in shock before saying, "Look, I don't know what you're talking about, and I am definitely not a human."

The monster looked up at him with her pair of smaller eyes again. There was another flash of light and suddenly Ryan was on his back in the dirt, his head throbbing. "You can't fool me," the monster said as it moved to stand over him. "Unlike most, I know a human when I see one. And I've seen you sitting up here for a while now night after night. Planning something, I'm sure. But more importantly, how did you hide your soul?"

"Listen," Ryan began, still trying to keep up his façade. "You're crazy. I'm leaving. That's the end of this." Before he could get up, the monster seemed to grow before his very eyes until she towered over him on the cliffside. And as she grew, her mouth split open, but it was not and eye within it now, but rows and rows of jagged teeth. More eyes began to open around the mouth, two, then three, then ten; the space around her began to dim and more other worldly faces resolved themselves in the gloom.

If it were not for his training, the whole thing would have frightened Ryan enough to make him panic. But, he was able to maintain a level of control over himself long enough to realize what was actually going on. He could have ended this quickly, but he did not want to start anything drastic. "It's illusion!" he admitted, "It's just illusion."

The monster shrunk back to her normal self in an instant. "You're lying," she said angrily.

"No I'm not. Why is this such a big deal anyway?"

"You _are_ lying. I know illusion, and I can tell you aren't trying to play with my mind. So what is it?"

Ryan undid the spell surrounding his chest. The monster blinked as the soft red light shone on her face. "That's not how the spell works." He told her. "I don't 'play' with people's minds, I just project the image outwards. Even I only see the spell when I'm inside its range."

The astigmatism stepped back from him in surprise and confusion, allowing Ryan to at least sit up. "Illusion projected outwards?" the monster said to herself. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Well, that's the only way I can describe it. I can't really get more specific than that." The monster was in his face again before he could stand. Her eyes narrowed as she stared into his, searching for… something.

"Fine," she said as she moved away from him. She grabbed him by the shirt collar and began to drag him towards the path down to the city. She was strong for her size as well as fast. "You'll just have to stay with me until I can figure it out."

With a swipe of his hand, Ryan freed himself from the monster and got to his feet. "Do I have a say in this?" he asked.

The monster turned up to look at him, she looked impatient. "No," she answered simply.

"And why is that?"

"Because if you don't come with me, I'll tell my father that there's a human disguising himself as a monster spying on the city. And don't think you'll be able to hide from me. I'll still see through your 'illusions,' even if they are backwards."

Ryan scoffed at the Astigmatism. "You really think telling your dad will do anything?"

The monster smirked back at him. "My father is Asgore's advisor. And with the king in solitude, my father has been running the Underground for almost a decade, practically on his own. If I tell him, the entire city will believe it and will be looking for you by morning."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that."

"And why not?"

"Well, for starters, I have the head of the Royal Guard to vouch for me. Actually, I have most of the Royal Guard on my side, come to think of it."

"I don't believe you." The astigmatism said, crossing her small arms.

"Well, why not come back with me and find out?" Ryan suggested.

The Astigmatism's eyes narrowed. "Do you really think I'm going to fall for that?"

He shook his head. "I'm not trying to pull anything, honestly."

"And you must be crazy to think I'll trust a human. My dad has told me all about them and the damage they can do."

"Then why do you want me to come with you?"

"That's my business."

Ryan was just about done with all of this. "Well, I have my own business, so I can't come with you. But I would rather not cause an incident, so you coming with me, I feel, is a decent compromise. Either way, I'm not coming with you. You can tell your dad but you will lose that fight. So in an effort to save us both the inconvenience, what do you say?" The monster looked up at him without blinking for a long moment. "My girlfriend's aunt owns an inn so I'm sure we could get you some place to stay." He added.

Another pause, and finally she blinked. "Fine," she said, walking towards the mouth of the tunnel that led back to Snowdin. She stopped and waited just inside. "Well, are you coming or what?"

Ryan stood there a moment, slightly stunned. "That was easy," he said to himself before taking one last look at the city and went over to join the strange monster.

 

"Now, that hardly sounds like the end of it." Muffet commented as Ryan took a pause to refill his tea.

"I wish it was." Ryan said with a mock happiness as he readjusted himself in his seat. The spider monster's pet bounded over to his side and Ryan gave it a friendly scratch on the head. The creature gave a happy grunt in response as it lay down next to him. "And honestly, if I had known how much trouble she would be from the beginning, I probably would have left her on that cliff, secrecy be damned."

The spider monster waved a hand at him. "Oh, you're exaggerating, surely."

"Not in the slightest." He affirmed. "You see, the new 'friend' I had essentially been blackmailed into bringing home with me was one of those people who go out of their way to cause problems."

"Why would she do that?"

"Because she enjoys it." Ryan said simply. "And it took her all of about thirty seconds to start trying to push my buttons."

 

"Is there a reason you're on my head?" Ryan asked the Astigmatism. The monster was standing comfortably on top of his shoulders, leaning over the top of his head and looking down the path they followed.

"Yes," she answered simply.

"And that would be?"

"My feet are tired."

Ryan doubted that highly. "Are they now?"

"No." She said in answer to his rhetoric.

"Then why are you on my head?" He asked again.

The monster leaned down so she was looking into his eyes. That look of curiosity was still there. "Because it bugs you." She told him.

Ryan sighed. "Well, at least you're honest." A moment later, the weight of the monster was gone and she was suddenly a ways down the path a head of him, looking around a corner. They were almost back to Snowdin at that point. Ryan wondered if the monster had ever been this far away from the city before.

"Do you have a name?" He asked, after he caught up with the monster. She was staring at one of the blue lit lakes with what he expected was the same wonder he had when he had seen them for the first time. It appeared she had not been out of the city before.

"Yes," she said curtly.

"And it would be?"

"Ayame."

Ryan blinked. "Really?"

"Yes, what's your name that makes it so special?"

"Ryan." He told her.

Ayame looked up at Ryan with a condescending look in her eyes. "And you question my name," she mumbled. "I've never heard of a single thing with a name like that."

Ryan gave a forced laugh at the monsters words. The monster kicked him in the shin before turning back to look at the cave before her.

"What was that for?" Ryan demanded.

"That was just because I felt like it." She admitted. "Come on, are we going or what?" Despite the monster's tone, she hesitated a moment longer before stepping into the cave ahead of him.

Ryan shook his head and followed after a moment later. They walked down the path until it met with the edge of the water. Reeds and grass grew out of it until they were over Ryan's head. Before them, there was a dock that rimmed the edge of the lake to take them to the other side. Ayame froze before the wooden planks and looked around, most likely trying to find some alternative route. "It's this way." Ryan told her, pointing out at the dock.

"Won't that just sink if we try to stand on it?" The monster asked, looking into the water.

"No, it's anchored to the bottom. It would take a lot more than us to make it sink." He actually was not sure that was the truth. The glow of the lake obscured its bottom. The dock could have been held up by magic for all he knew. But he had walked on it enough times to know it was safe.

Hesitantly, Ayame leaned her foot out over the wood and slowly put weight down on it. Satisfied that it would hold her, she walked out onto it a bit. Ryan then stepped down himself, making the dock shake a little. The monster flew to his side and attached herself to his leg with a yelp.

Ryan rolled his eyes at the act. "It's fine." He told her.

"No it's not; you lied." She said quickly. Her eyes were shut and she did not lessen her grip in the slightest. Ryan was beginning to feel her claws digging into his leg.

"It's perfectly stable, watch." Ryan jumped up and down on the dock a few times to prove it was sturdy. The monster practically screamed.

"Stop! Okay, I believe you. Please, stop!" Ryan settled himself and she let go of his leg.

"'Please,' that's a new one from you." Ryan mocked.

The monster glared at him. Ryan, half knowing what to expect that time, threw up a shield. A second later there was a flash of light, but when it faded that time it was Ayame on her back, rubbing a part of her head. He smirked. "How did you do that?" She demanded.

"Compared to some of the people I deal with on a daily basis," he said as he walked past her, "you are very predictable." He went on until he realized Ayame was not following him. He looked back to see she was still on the ground, looking at him in confusion. "You coming or what?" The monster finally scrambled up from the ground and caught up with him.

The pair continued in relative silence. Ayame said nothing and Ryan only spoke to point out the way. It went on like that until they reached the end of the dock in another cave. This dock ended in the water suddenly, with no other visible path in sight.

"Nice, we're lost. Good job." Ayame was quick to judge as she looked out over the glowing lake.

"No we're not." Ryan told her as he sat down with his legs over the edge. "Just wait."

The monster looked at him questioningly before sitting down next to him. The two were silent once again. Ryan caught her looking up at him every few seconds before asking, "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing important," he told her as he continued to look out over the lake.

"Tell me anyway." The Astigmatism said demandingly.

He spared her a side long glance before explaining, "I was just wondering how to explain you to everyone in town without losing my hiding spot."

"Why? Do you need a spot in case you're discovered?"

"The exact opposite in fact. The whole town already knows I'm human."

"What?"

"It's a long story. Case and point, I don't really have anyone I need to hide from, sometimes I just like being alone."

"Why?"

"It makes me feel better."

"How can being alone make you feel better?"

"I don't know, just does."

The small platform that would carry them to the other side of the lake emerged from the reeds and came to a stop below them. "We're using _that_ to get across?" Ayame questioned.

"I've used it multiple times," he told her. "It's perfectly safe." Ryan stood up to drop down to the platform and saw that Ayame moved to follow him. "Only room for one, I'm afraid. Just wait here until it gets back. It only takes a couple of minutes."

The monster grabbed him by the leg. "You're not leaving me here." Her tone brooked no argument, but it was not that simple in his eyes.

"Well, I'm certainly not letting you go first," he told her. "I don't need you running off on me." As he looked down at the monster, he began to slowly realize that she was not trying to pull something on him, but was genuinely frightened by the thought of being left alone here. He supposed he could not blame her. "Fine," he conceded. "We'll go together."

Ayame rode on Ryan's shoulders once again as they crossed the lake. "Why are you here anyway?" she asked just as Ryan began to feel the silence eat at him as well.

He chuckled to himself. "Well, that's one of life's great mysteries, isn't it? Why are any of us here? I mean, are we just the product of some cosmic coincidence, or is there really someone watching everything? You know, with a plan and stuff."

"You know what I meant…" Ayame added, more than a little annoyed.

"I'm just trying to make monsters happier." He told her.

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Why wouldn't I? Monsters have been nicer to me than anyone else in my life."

"I thought humans only viewed monsters as a threat."

_Humans don't even know you exist._ He thought to himself. "Well, I certainly don't." He told her instead.

"And how exactly do you plan to make monsters happier?"

"By getting stronger." He explained. "Then maybe I'll be able to convince the king that there's a better way."

"You're going to talk to Asgore? Hmph, you'll be the first in a while… You're crazy if you think that's going to work, though."

"Perhaps," he admitted, "but that's no reason not to try. And someone has to, otherwise nothing will ever change." The monster went silent after that. The small, wooden platform reached the dock at the other end of the lake and the two climbed up. Ayame alighted from Ryan's shoulders and seemed to become engrossed in the mural drawn on the nearby rock. He gave her a moment, but when she showed no sign of leaving he said, "Come on."

He started to walk away, but the monster still showed no signs of following. He was about to say something again when she spoke up. "You're wasting your time you know." The Astigmatism looked up at him and her seriousness was plain. "The barrier can't be destroyed."

Ryan chuckled. "I'll believe that when I see it." He turned to continue on his way, not waiting to see if Ayame followed. He knew she would.

 

"You told her quite a bit for someone you didn't even know if you could trust." Muffet commented. A plate of doughnuts had been brought down for them as Ryan was talking when it became clear that he would be going on for a while still. He broke one in half and tossed it for the creature resting behind his chair who snatched it out of the air.

"There's a saying humans have that you might appreciate," he told her. "In for a penny, in for a pound. She already knew I was human, if she decided to do something with that, how much worse could it get if I told her the rest?"

"What about your friends?" The spider monster pointed out.

"I'd thought about that. Let's just say I have a strong reason to believe that if she tried anything and I told people I had somehow manipulated them into doing what I wanted, most monsters would believe me."

"Well, _did_ she try anything?"

Ryan thought for a moment. "Just one thing, really."

 

All was quiet until they made it to the last cave when Ryan realized Ayame was no longer next to him. A quick look around told him how far she had already gotten. The falling water seemed to mock him through their white noise. Ryan took a breath and closed his eyes.

He tried to ignore the sounds – they would be no help to him in this situation. The falls drowned out anything he could have used, and that left the second best option. Ever since he had first learned how to use air magic, he had felt a connection to the currents flowing around him, and his skill in reading them only had gotten better over time.

There was still quite a bit of noise from the falls to be filtered out, but this way it was much easier for him to sift through. He looked for anything unnatural from his place at the bottom of the cave, and it did not take long for something to reach him. He bounded up to the middle of the falls in a single leap where he waited once again until the monster came streaming by him and he caught her by the horn. "It's pretty easy to get lost in here, you know." He told her.

Ayame smacked his hand away but did not try to run again. She merely looked up at him, frustrated. "How did you do that?" She asked him.

"You may be fast," he explained, "but that just makes you more obvious." The answer did not seem to satisfy her, but that was all Ryan was going to give. "So, are you going to try that again? If so, get it over with now." He was half hoping she would, if it meant a few minutes more before they had to reach the town.

The monster did not answer, instead saying, "Your soul's gone again. How?"

Ryan looked down at himself. He had done it without thinking as they had gotten close, he supposed. "There are a few monsters living in this cave." He answered. "They keep to themselves for the most part, so they don't really know what I am. I figured that was why you were running away. To go tell one of them."

"No," Ayame said as if that were the dumbest thing she had ever heard. "That doesn't answer my question."

Ryan felt like beating his head against the rock of the tunnel, but did not let any of it show. "I told you before, it's just illusion."

"Still going with that, huh?" The monster crossed her arms in front of her. "Listen closely. Illusion is a type of thought manipulation magic, and those skilled in it like myself know how to tell when someone is trying to mess with their thoughts. You are not. So I will ask one more time: how are you doing that?"

To answer, he placed a screen between the two of them and watched the monster's eyes go wide as, to her, he disappeared from head to toe. "I'm still here." He assured. "Walk forward."

She did so, hesitantly, but she walked until she crossed the threshold of his spell and nearly jumped back across it as he suddenly reappeared to her again. "That's all I do." He said. "I put up an image – or a filter, I'm not exactly sure which would be more accurate to call it – but all they have to do is walk past it. No thought manipulation involved."

The monster seemed even more confused now, but she said nothing, so Ryan began making his way up the cave once more.

When they made it back to town, they were immediately met by the two monsters Ryan had been hoping to run into the least. "And just where the heck have you been?" Sallie shouted at him just as they made it to the first buildings at the edge of the main street. Ruby stood next to her, glaring at him just as harshly but keeping silent. "We've been looking for you all morning!" The rabbit went on. "Undyne was about ready to start another manhunt." Then she noticed Ayame. "Who is this?"

"I was just out for a walk," Ryan said in answer to her first question, "which was extended in length as I ran into Ayame." He gestured to the monster at his side. "She…"

"I ran away from home." She interrupted with a meekness to her voice that surprised him.

It worked to soften the other two monsters' expressions immediately. "Oh…" Sallie said, her anger forgotten. "You would find another monster to save." She said to Ryan who shrugged in response.

"Guess I'm just lucky like that." He did not know why Ayame had decided to go with that story, but he ran with it all the same. "Anyway, where's Undyne. It's probably best if I got back on track before she starts destroying stuff, huh?"

"Last I saw she was going out into the woods to see if you left without her." Ruby informed him.

"Great…" Ryan said as he started off in that direction. A weight on his leg made him stop. He looked down to see Ayame wrapped around it again. The fear in her eyes shocked him more than her sudden meekness before.

"You're not leaving, are you?" The fear was reflected in her voice. Was she really scared that he was leaving? "Don't worry," he consoled. "I'll be back later. Sallie and Ruby can show you around in the meantime. He turned his head and saw that Sallie was looking at the monster in confused frustration _. Good, another problem,_ he thought. "Do you think your aunt would be willing to put her up?" He asked the rabbit.

Sallie snapped out of her daze and nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure that won't be a problem."

He turned back to the monster clinging to him. "There, see? Nothing to worry about."

Slowly, she let go of him, and he made sure to be on his way before anything else could happen.

 

After Ryan was gone, Ayame shed her fear like a second skin and looked up at the rabbit monster and her friend with a barely suppressed smile. She had gotten just the reaction she had expected from the both of them by her little act. This Sallie was likely a love interest of the human, but the fire girl seemed to have feelings for him as well. That was interesting. And judging by how close the two of them seemed, they were both aware and accepting of the other's feelings towards him as well.

Very interesting indeed. The only thing that remained was deciding how she wanted to play this. Perhaps a little more data first.

Ayame turned her gaze away from the other two monsters, having looked up at them for barely more than a moment. She decided nervousness might be better than fear now. "Um… thanks," she began, looking to and away from them quickly. "I know this is all probably weird and sudden, but I appreciate the help."

"You'd be surprised what constitutes normal around here." The fire monster said before giggling behind her hand.

"Why did you run away from home?" The other one inquired.

Ayame dropped her eyes again and kicked at the snow. "I'd rather not talk about it." she said quietly. The look of pity that passed between them was delicious.

"Well, it hardly matters," the rabbit went on. "You're far away from it and any trouble it could cause you now."

_Time to plant the seed,_ she thought. Ayame took in a note of excitement to her voice. "I know," she said. "I was really lucky Ryan found me when he did. I was completely lost in those caves. I had no idea what I was going to do… Then he just showed up. He really was very nice and… _very_ comforting."

But the rabbit did not bite. She smiled and said, "That's just who Ryan is." So then, she trusted the human a good deal. Not a glimmer of doubt passed through the monster at her suggestion that the human may have been disloyal.

"Come on, let's go get you settled in at my aunt's." Sallie continued. "Afterwards we'll show you around town a bit. Sound good?" The other two monsters began leading her further into the town.

"Are you hungry at all?" The fire monster added. "My dad owns the best restaurant in Snowdin."

"It's the only restaurant in Snowdin." Sallie pointed out.

Her friend waved at her dismissively. "Details, details."

"Thanks, but I think I'd just like to get some rest for now." Ayame told them.

The rabbit nodded. "Understandable. We'll come get you once Ryan's back. That's when we all normally get together anyway."

"So then he is coming back?" She made sure to add measures of relief and excitement to her words.

The monster smiled down at her. "Of course, he lives here too. No matter how many times I need to remind him of that…"

"Good, I would hate to never see him again after everything that's happened today." Another idea popped into her head, and she decided to act upon it. "I hope you two don't think I'm crazy for saying this, but I think I might have fallen for him already."

The two monsters stopped dead in the street and it was a great effort for Ayame not to burst out laughing. She took three steps before turning around and looking at them questioningly. "What's wrong?" she asked innocently.

"Nothing." The fire monster said quickly. Sallie slowly nodded her head in agreement. Now they were getting somewhere.

The two monsters continued on and Ayame fell into step behind them. She smiled to herself as she began to buzz with anticipation.

This was going to be so much fun.

 

"How exactly do you know all of this if you weren't there?" Muffet questioned before Ryan could go on.

"Because Sallie told me almost as soon as I had gotten back that evening," he explained. "She had already dealt with something similar between her and Ruby, and I don't think she could stand keeping something like that to herself again. Beyond that, I had already figured out the kind of monster Ayame was on our way to town, so I could fill in the gaps. It might not have been _exactly_ how it happened, but I imagine I'm close."

"I'm still confused as to why you would go out of your way to help her at all if you knew she was like that." Muffet added.

"I'm getting to that, don't worry. But first, back to that night.

"Sallie explained to me that history might be repeating itself. And after a lengthy lecture in which why I had brought her there was asked in a much more enraged way, I suggested she try to do the same thing she did with Ruby before jumping to any conclusions and before anything happened this time."

"What was it she did?"

Ryan shrugged. "Just talk to her, really. Although she did have the captain of the Royal Guard in her corner, and it's very difficult to 'just talk' while she's around…"

"And how did that work, with Ayame?"

Ryan's grin became one of frustration as he leaned back in his chair. "According to Sallie, it went just fine. However, there were several instances after that made that very hard to believe."

"Like what?" The spider monster was eyeing the chair that he now had balancing on two legs.

Ryan set himself back down and took another sip of tea as he dropped his gaze. "I'll leave that up to your imagination." He said quietly.

"Oh, please don't." The monster pleaded.

He took another sip of tea before going on. "To be honest with you, I blocked most of it out already." He admitted. "I'll tell you what started it, though."

 

Ryan decided to go to Grillby's a little early. He had set things up with Ruby the previous day to meet up there before going to the lab for some reason that she neglected to mention. He entered the bar to find it empty but for the last monster he had expected to see inside.

Ayame sat at one of the stools at the bar with her back to it, the top of her head barely cresting it. In the week since she had arrived, she had hardly seen her leave the inn except when he caught her skulking around town for one reason or another. And afterwards he'd almost always find Sallie and Ruby fighting in some way, shape or form. Likely, the monster had something to do with it, though he had nothing to prove that theory.

Aside from that, she had always called him to the inn whenever she wanted to speak. It was usually over something frivolous, to the point where he did not quite understand why she had wanted to talk with him at all. He realized it must be part of some sort of scheme as well early on, but he had no idea what it could be, so he kept his suspicions to himself.

In the week since she had arrived, the monster had yet to join the rest of the group for their usual nightly meet up since the first day, where he could not tell if her awkwardness was fabricated or genuine. Though with half a dozen monsters practically interrogating you, he could see how it could go either way.

So it was a surprise to see the monster in the bar, looking as if she had been waiting quite some time. Grillby himself was absent, likely sent away by her somehow. "It's about time you showed up." She said, the impatience leeching into her words matching her expression.

Ryan looked at the monster skeptically as she hopped down from the stool. "How did you know I was even going to be here?" He inquired.

Ayame rolled her eyes. "Please, you're always here around this time."

"I'm never here this early." He told her.

The monster flashed a toothy smile. "And yet, here you are."

"What do you want?" He asked, ignoring her attempt at seeming prophetical.

"That's rather rude," she commented instead of answering. "I thought we were supposed to be friends."

"And I thought you would have dropped the attitude by now." He told her. "I would think about doing so soon. Otherwise my kindness will start to run dry. Or did you think the room you were staying in was free?"

"Oh, but we wouldn't want that now, would we?" She shot back at him. "We wouldn't want your secret to get out."

"I already told you, I don't care about that."

"And yet you still haven't said no to me. Interesting disconnection, don't you think?"

Ryan simply stared at the monster and tried to not let his frustration show. "What do you want?" he repeated.

"Only what we agreed on in the first place." She explained. "I want you to teach me how you do that illusion of yours."

"Well, you're going to have to wait a little longer." He told her.

"And why is that?"

"Because I have a prior engagement." The monster glared up at him. "Hey, don't get mad at me, it's your own fault for waiting so long to ask. Maybe if you weren't so busy with whatever else you're scheming…"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, and you will begin showing me today. Otherwise the whole of the capital will know of your existence by morning."

"Sorry, but that's not how this works."

"How what works?" Ruby's voice came from behind him, causing him to actually jump. He turned and saw the monster closing the door to the restaurant behind her. Their eyes met and she smiled. He tried to smile back but it must not have been wholly right because a look of puzzlement crossed her features. "I'm surprised you're here early. Does that mean you're ready to go?"

Ayame decided to take that moment to step into view. "Wait where are you going?" She asked, her voice much softer than it had been a moment ago.

Ruby's eyes went to the other monster and she seemed to flare up slightly. "Ryan said he would go to the lab with me today." She answered for him with a measure of strain.

Ayame stepped closer to him; she even reached out to his hand. "But you promised we would spend time together today." The simper in her voice nearly had him convinced as well. Ryan was starting to piece together what was going on here.

He stepped back before she could grab his hand and he was about to say that he had promised no such thing, but Ruby spoke up first. "Ryan, what is she talking about? I thought we agreed on this last night." The fire monster stepped up to his other side. Neither of them were within arm's reach yet, but to him they felt worlds too close already. He suddenly wanted to be anywhere but there.

"I-" he opened his mouth and began, but Ayame overran him. "We talked about it last night too, didn't we Ryan?"

He tried once more to get a word in, but if he actually thought that was going to work, he was going to be disappointed. "Ryan, this was the only day I was able to convince Alphys to let me use some of her equipment, and I would really like to take advantage of it." Ruby reasoned. "It's nothing crazy, just another scan to compare to the one Alphys has on record and a blood sample. Once I have that I don't even need you there, really. You could even come back and spend time with… her." The monster's efforts to compromise were obviously grating on her, but Ayame seemed to want all or nothing.

"I don't understand Ryan. Why would you promise both of us at the same time?"

Ryan saw that Ruby was about to jump in again and decided it was time to take action. He pointed upwards with both of his hands and the two monsters' mouths clamped shut as a spell was wound around either of their heads. The gesture was unnecessary, but it told them that it was him doing it and they did not just suddenly lose the ability to speak. Instead of clearing up the air, however, there was something far more important he needed to say first.

"You never said anything about needles," he said to Ruby. "For that matter, why do you even have needles? Monsters don't even need them!"

He let the spell around both of their heads go so Ruby could answer. Luckily Ayame stayed quiet. "Believe it or not, there is other life besides monsters down here, and the lab has done research on more than just magic and souls in the last thousand years." The monster explained. "What's the big deal anyway?"

"I can't stand needles." Ryan admitted quietly.

Ruby gave him an incredulous look. "Are you kidding me? You can take a blade nearly lopping your arm off, but not a tiny needle?"

"It's different!" Ryan protested.

Ayame suddenly took his hand in hers. He had not even noticed the monster walk up to him. He really needed to start holding his resonance constantly again; his normal senses seemed to be dulling in comparison. "If you don't want to go with her, then just say with me. See? Problem solved."

Ruby took hold of his other hand and looked up at him pleadingly. "Ryan, please? I don't know when I'll get another chance like this.

Before he could say anything further, Ryan saw Ayame's eyes dart to somewhere he could not follow and then she suddenly let go of his hand. "Fine," she said, sounding morose. "I can see that you don't want to spend time with me after all." And the next instant she was gone fast enough that the door did not even make a sound as it opened and closed.

He and Ruby exchanged confused looks before the fire monster started to giggle, whether in amusement or because of her supposed victory he was unsure. "Well, now that that matter is settled…" She trialed off as the sound of the door opening came. For a moment, Ryan thought Ayame had come back to try again, but it was Sallie that stepped in to the restaurant. As Ryan's stomach sank, he got the sneaking suspicion that that was exactly what the Astigmatism intended to happen.

The monster froze before the door even swung shut. Ruby's reaction was much the same as she turned and saw the rabbit standing there. Then she let go of his hand and jumped back from him fast enough that her whole body lost its shape for a second.

"Sallie, I… This isn't what it looks like." She said as her form resettled itself. She seemed to dim as Sallie glared back at her. "I-" she tried to go on, but the other monster raised her hand, silencing her. Ruby's head dropped.

Sallie wordlessly gestured for the fire monster to follow her before stepping back outside. With one more glance at Ryan, Ruby joined her on the other side of the door.

Ryan stood their dumbfounded. Everything that just happened was such a mess that he did not even know how to begin sorting through it. Obviously Ayame had managed to set all of this up somehow, but to what end? Was it just to get Sallie and Ruby to fight? What did she gain from that? He was missing something still, he realized.

By the time he remembered to use his magic to try to listen in on the two monsters outside, the door already opened again. Only Sallie entered that time. The monster did not even glance over at him as she made her way to the bar. "Sallie, I…" Ryan tired but trailed off as she continued to ignore him.

Grillby then chose that moment to reappear from the back. He stepped up behind the bar and had a drink ready to put in Sallie's hand by the time she reached him. The monster downed its contents in one gulp before turning and walking back towards the door. "Snowy's staying over at Papyrus's place again." She said to the air as she opened the door which slammed shut behind her before Ryan could say anything.

Ryan let out a breath. "Why me?"

 

The next day, Sallie refused to leave the house. She had barely moved on the bed by the time Ryan returned from training that afternoon. Ryan stood in the doorway to their room as he stared at the monster's back.

"Hey," he tried, but she did not stir. Ryan sat down on the bed behind her. "I want to talk about yesterday." He told her.

"There's nothing to talk about." She said without turning to him.

"If you genuinely believe that, then I think you might be going crazy."

"That's funny, I was just thinking that I might be."

Ryan put a hand on the monster's leg, which at least got her to look at him. "You know that wasn't Ruby's fault, right?" He began. "I hope you're not still angry at her."

The monster chuckled quietly to herself. "After everything that happened between me and her, it would take a lot more than that for me to get mad. And yes, I know that that wasn't what it looked like."

Ryan was fairly certain he would get little else from her beyond that, so he decided to cut to the heart of the matter. "Are you sure the thing with Ayame was settled?" he asked. "Because I have the feeling it's not."

"It's settled." Sallie said firmly.

"Is it? Yesterday was fairly strong evidence to the contrary."

The monster sat up so she was face to face with him. "It's settled," she maintained, "because I refuse to let it get to me this time. I know you would never do anything, and eventually she'll realize that and get over it."

"Now, you say that, and yet you've been sitting in your room all day." He pointed out. "Sallie if all you're doing is trying to keep trouble away from me again, you don't-"

The monster cut him off with a rather forceful kiss. "I'm tired of talking about all of these negative things." She told him as she broke away.

"Well then what would you rather do?" he asked softly.

"How about you remind me how much you love me?" she suggested.

 

"And now I really will leave it to your imagination." Ryan concluded.

"That doesn't exactly sound horrible." Muffet spoke up. "It sounds rather enjoyable to me."

Ryan laughed before realizing the monster was serious. "No, it was not fun. It was insane was what it was. I don't how anyone could have fun with someone angrily jumping on your…" he looked up at the monster who was still paying very close attention to what he was saying. "Anyway, it only got worse after that. Ayame started dragging others into it as well. I had to explain to Snowy things I never wanted to explain to anyone… And the whole thing was driving me crazy. I even started drinking coffee again at one point, and the results of that freaked out more than a few monsters. And everyone around me pretended like nothing was going on. So, sooner rather than later, I decided to take matters into my own hands."

 

When Sallie got home one afternoon, she found Ryan standing by the doors to the balcony in their room, staring out over the town as he often did, with a mug in his hand. "What's up?" She asked as she went to join him.

Taking a sip from the mug, he said, "I've realized my life is threatening to turn into a harem anime."

The monster's look turned puzzled. "A what?"

He gave her a side long glance before turning back to the town. "Trust me, you don't want to know. Ask Alphys." He took another sip of coffee. "Regardless! It must be stopped before it gets out of hand." The mug touched his lips again. "God, I forgot how good this stuff is."

To Sallie, Ryan was talking at a million miles an hour. "I'm confused, what are you doing?"

Ryan held the now empty mug out in front of him and let it go. Sallie moved to catch it before it shattered on the ground, but it did not fall. It floated on some invisible platform he had conjured up. "Collect Ruby!" He bade, turning away from the doors and walking out of the room. "I'll find the other one!"

Sallie was left standing there in bewilderment, hands still held under the floating mug as she heard the door open and close below. "What?" She said to herself. The mug fell into her hands a second later, eliciting a yelp from the monster.

 

About an hour later, she, Ruby and Astigmatism were sitting in her kitchen while they waited for Ryan to show himself and explain why exactly it was they were all there. She and Ruby tried to puzzle it out on their way back together, but they were unable to piece together the truth from what Ryan had said.

The man stepped into the room just then. "So why are we here?" Astigmatism asked first.

"You are here," Ryan explained, "because I've noticed you've all been acting very manipulative lately. Not only to each other, but to me and to Snowy and a few others as well. Now, I've had enough high school drama in my life as is, so I'm putting a stop to it by making a few things absolutely clear to all three of you."

He turned to Ruby. "I understand that you and Sallie have already had this conversation, and I know how you feel about all of this, but let me be completely clear and upfront to all of you so there is no future confusion in any way. I am with Sallie. I love her very much, and there is not a single person, above or below ground, who stands a snow's chance in hell of changing that." He looked back and forth between the other monsters before adding, "Certainly not you two."

The three girls looked around awkwardly. Sallie could not help but feel a little satisfied by Ryan's words, but she tried to hide her smile from the others.

"You can say that all you want, but that alone isn't going to stop certain people." Ruby said, looking angrily at the monster sitting behind them. Ayame looked more interested in her hand than anything else.

"Ayame, tell them." Ryan demanded.

The monster looked up in surprise. "What, why? That will ruin everything!"

"Tell them." he said again.

Ayame looked ready to protest more, but she swallowed it, looking between Sallie and Ruby. With a patronizing sigh she said, "Listen, I don't really care about Ryan one way or another. I mean, I don't hate him, but romantically? Eh… he's not really my type."

Ruby blinked at the monster's words. "But then why were you…?"

"Because it bugs you two, duh. And, frankly, I find that hilarious." She gestured with her head to Sallie and then to Ruby. "It takes almost nothing to get you flustered, and you seem to come to her rescue for practically anything. It was almost too easy."

Ryan brought their attention back to him. "Good, now that that's in the open, you can settle things between yourselves, but leave me out of it."

He turned towards the door, but Ayame spoke up, cutting him short. "It's a bit weird. I would have thought anyone would be happy to have three people chasing after them."

"Well, I'm not." Ryan made clear.

The monster shrugged. "Still, you could have let it go on a little longer, couldn't you? I had all of these fun ideas lined up, and-"

"Stop!" Ryan snapped at the monster and all three of them froze. "You need to learn when enough is enough." He rounded on the tree of them and pointed at the Astigmatism. "And unlike everyone you likely knew in the city, I'm not afraid to tell you so." Ryan walked up to the monster and she actually shrunk back from him. "If you're going to mess with me, then fine. But do not go dragging my friends into this just to get to me, got it?" The monster nodded slowly and Ryan backed off a bit, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "I need a freaking haircut." He said to himself and stormed out of the room.

"Well, that was… unexpected." Ruby said to cut the silence. Her voice shook as she spoke.

Sallie went over to Astigmatism and took her hand. "Are you okay?" She asked.

She nodded again, seeming no less frighten than when Ryan was in the room. "Guess I know what buttons not to press on him now, huh?" she said shakily.

"I've never seen him get like that before." Ruby commented. "What do you think's eating him."

"Probably the same thing as always." Sallie said more to herself than anyone else.

"And what's that?" The fire monster questioned.

Sallie shook her head. "I wish I knew."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Song: Alone Together, by Fall Out Boy.  
> See you Friday!


	28. Unity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the record show that I enjoy this part much more than the last one.  
> It's been awhile since we've had some game bits, hasn't it?

* * *

"That still doesn't sound like the end of it." Muffet voiced as Ryan took a pause and looked away for a moment, becoming lost as he thought back to that day.

"Oh, believe me, that wasn't." he chuckled.

"So, what happened after that?" she asked. The monster had been paying great attention to Ryan's story thus far. He was a very good storyteller. They had already gone through one pot of tea, but she was willing to keep them coming if it kept him talking. She had not had this much fun in ages.

"They all made up," Ryan said as if he still did not believe it himself, "which was what I was hoping for, I guess."

Out of habit, the monster picked up one of the croissants from the table – of which there were several now, all filled with food in the hopes that it would keep her guest longer – and inspected the work behind it. "Well, if everything was settled, then what's the problem?" she asked.

"Everything was far from settled." He made clear. "I was fooling myself if I thought it would be.

"You mean she kept going anyway?" asked Muffet with a measure of surprise.

Ryan flashed a satirical grin. "Oh, Muffet, that was just the beginning. You see, someone like Ayame doesn't stop just because you tell her to once. No, she simply changed tactics and changed her target again.

"Sure, she stayed away from Sallie and Ruby like she said she would. But there were plenty of others for her to pick on. A week later I found Alphys and Undyne acting like they were closer than ever and like there was never anything wrong between them in the first place. And both of them were thanking Ayame up and down for settling the matter."

"How did she manage that?" Muffet inquired.

Ryan shrugged. "I don't even know what the problem between them was in the first place. None of them will talk about it, especially Ayame, though I suspect that's because whatever she had planned for them didn't really go as expected. Whenever she would look at either of them, she just seemed… stunned.

"And, of course, being unable to end on a defeat, she tried again. This time with the two monsters she probably should have stayed the furthest away from."

 

From the roof of the inn, Ayame watched the town. Few monsters were out and about that early in the morning, and the few that were barely held her interest more than a moment. After her plan with Undyne and Alphys had backfired, she was quickly reverting back to her slump. She needed somebody else to play with. The problem was, the town was dreadfully small and she was quickly running out of interesting monsters.

They were all so… mundane. Smiling as they went about whatever business that needed done, stopping for superficial conversation, then returning home the same way. How could they all seem so content living like that? How could they all not have any drama?

For a moment she considered going back to her old targets, but she immediately threw away that idea. She did not want to risk making Ryan angry again. He reminded her too much of her father when he yelled at her like that. She did not want that. Ryan was the first one to put up with her without expecting anything in return, and at the very least she wanted to understand why before scaring him off.

Ayame watched as one of the bears walking by happened to look up in her direction. She opened her true eye and watched the monster jump back and drop the bags in its hands as it saw Ayame transform into some giant beast of the imagination before disappearing like a bad dream. The monster scrambled back before coming to its senses and going to gather up the fallen groceries. Another monster came running up to help it.

Regardless of what Ryan had showed her, she still found her own form of illusion to be much more fun and much more rewarding. Ayame giggled behind her hand, but the humor was gone quickly and she was back to looking for her next victim.

Somehow her gaze always managed to drift back to the house that Ryan and that Sallie girl shared. The human in question had already left, just as he did every morning at an ungodly hour. To do what, she had yet to ask. Sometimes he left with Undyne, sometimes it was also with those other two friends of his. They were boring as well. Everything seemed to just slide off of the one and the other, more often than not, did not seem to understand a word she was saying. They were like Ryan in a way: nothing she ever did seemed to get to them, but with them that was all there was to it. It was simply who they were. With Ryan, there was something more to it, something deeper. If only she could figure out what it was!

The door to the house opened and a figure emerged. It was that Snowdrake that always seemed to be following Ryan around. She had already forgotten his name again. Someone still inside closed the door for the drake and he waited in the snowy streets, looking up and down its length for some unknown person or thing. _Snowy! That was his name_ , Ayame thought to herself. She watched him a few moments longer, but all he did was stand in the street and there was nothing interesting to be found in that. She was about to begin searching elsewhere again when she heard something sprinting through the snow to her left. Turning she saw the familiar form of that lizard kid running towards the other monster. Another target she had already dismissed. The only interesting thing she knew about him was his real name, and she knew the entertainment to be gained from that would not last very long. Best to save it until she was truly desperate.

The yellow monster made it to the drake and skidded to a halt, kicking up snow that almost hit his friend in the face. Snowy stepped back as if he had expected nothing less. "You're late," he said.

"Hey, you try putting on a shirt with no arms!" The monster kid shouted back.

"Couldn't Papyrus have helped you?" Snowy countered.

"He wasn't there when I woke up, which I was getting to before you started yelling at me."

"I was not yelling!" the drake defended. "Where did he go?"

The armless monster tilted his head to the side and raised his tail in lieu of a shrug. "Heck if I know. He does that sometimes. I think he goes out to check his puzzles even though he's not technically a sentry anymore."

Snowy chuckled. "Makes sense. So, what should we do today then?"

"I don't know, I was gonna ask you."

Suddenly an idea popped into Ayame's head. She had seen or heard stories of these two butting heads with one another almost daily since she had arrived. At the time it meant nothing to her because she had other priorities, but now this presented a new opportunity. Each of them on their own may not hold much appeal, but both together?

"I have a suggestion," she told the two as she suddenly appeared next to them. The lizard practically fell onto his back in surprise while Snowy seemed hardly affected by it, like it had happened so much around him he had gotten used to it. She made mental notes of their reactions, they told her much.

"When did you get there?" The yellow monster asked once he had recovered himself.

"What, am I not allowed to hang out with guys?" Ayame responded quickly. She had done things like this often enough to know that if you came up with a good counter argument, most monsters never truly questioned it.

"Well, I didn't say that…" MK mumbled.

"Then what's the problem?" she reasoned. "You two are both lost as for what to do today, right? Well, may have an answer to that. Do you want it?"

Snowy looked at the Astigmatism warily. "If only for the sake of humoring you, sure." He said.

Ayame gave him a wide grin before saying excitedly, "Let's go on an adventure!"

"An adventure?" The other two questioned simultaneously. MK's face lit up while Snowy's skepticism only deepened. "What do you mean by that?" The drake added after.

Ayame gestured them both closer and they leaned in. "I've heard stories about an ancient and mysterious artifact hidden in Waterfall." She told them. "According to the stories, it's supposed to hold some tremendous power from before we were sealed down here." Ayame watched the lizard monster's eyes widen while Snowy looked at her consideringly; she noted that as well. "Now, I have a pretty good idea of where it might me," she went on, "but I'm going to need help to get it. What do you say?"

She could tell by the gleam in his eye as he opened his mouth that MK was about to immediately say yes, but the other one jumped in first. "Hold on," he said, "Ryan warned me about you. You're not lying, are you?"

"I would never lie about something like this." Ayame told them. She actually was not lying about the stories she had heard. Her knowledge about where it was, however, may have been exaggerated.

"I still don't trust this." Snowy maintained.

MK groaned. "Come on! What's to lose? This sounds seriously cool!" Clearly the call to adventure was enough information for him.

"How about our lives?" The drake disputed. "What if she's just leading us into a cave to get lost? Didn't Ryan tell you to watch out with her too?"

"I'm sure you're exaggerating." MK told him. "Besides, I know every inch of Waterfall like it's my own home. There's no way we could get lost."

"There is no way any one monster could know every tunnel in that maze." Snowy continued to argue. "Especially not you."

"But think about it!" The other one went on. "If it's real and we find it, there's probably no end to what we could do!"

"Well, I still don't trust her."

"I am still right here, you know." Ayame interrupted.

MK turned to the Astigmatism and looked at her seriously. The two were eye level with one another and with her, she noticed, which at that moment bugged her for some reason. "Alright, I want you to look me in the eye and tell me that you're not going to get us lost." The monster told her.

"I am not going to get you guys lost." She said without hesitation. Getting them lost was the least creative thing she could do with them, and there would be far too much collateral associated with it, especially since they were expecting it of her. No, she had something far more interesting in mind.

The young monster looked at her a moment longer before nodding in satisfaction. "Good enough for me." He told Snowy.

Snowy shook his head. "It baffles me how naïve you are sometimes."

"Well I'm going regardless. You can stay here and be bored and wait on your windowsill for Ryan to get back." MK mocked.

Ayame watched the crest of feathers on top of Snowy's head rise as his eyes narrowed. It seemed she would hardly have to do anything for those two to be at each other's throats the whole day, but it would be no fun if it happened already. "Snowy," she said in a calm voice, "I'm really not trying to fool you into anything. I'm simply bored, just like you. I know what Ryan must have told you, but I've stopped with all of that stuff. I've even tried helping people. Just ask Undyne and Dr. Alphys they seem closer than ever now." Though she still could not possibly imagine why or how after what she had tried to pull on them.

Snowy seemed to consider this, looking back and forth between her and MK. "Fine," he said curtly. "If only because, once this fails fantastically, I'll have all of the details to make fun of you two properly in one of my acts."

"Then it's settled!" Ayame exclaimed excitedly. "Well need just a few things first."

 

The three monsters gathered at the top of the first cave in Waterfall. MK looked over the funnel of falling water, eager to get started while Snowy and Ayame double checked they had everything they might need.

"Rope." Snowy listed.

Ayame fished through the bag she held on the ground in front of her until she found the coil of rope. "Check." She said to the other monster.

"Emergency food?"

"Check."

"Towels?"

"Check."

"Shiny thing to keep MK busy so he doesn't run off?"

Ayame lowered the bag. "Really?" she said, slightly disappointed.

"You think I'm joking? Just wait until we lose him three caves in and have to get the whole town involved in another search and rescue."

"Hey, that last one was _your_ fault, according to everyone." MK said, his attention back on them.

"That's my point," Snowy explained as MK joined them again. "If it happened to me, just think about how much easier it would be for you to end up in a similar situation."

"At least I'm not dumb enough to get fooled by an echo flower."

"It wasn't-!" Snowy clamped his beak shut before finishing and turned back to Ayame. "Are we ready to go or not?" he snapped.

"Looks like it," she said, tying the bag back up and ignoring the other monster's tone.

"So where are we going?" asked MK.

Ayame walked over to the edge of the path and looked down to the bottom. "As the story goes, 'the key lies in the heart of an old hero.'"

Snowy threw a skeptic look at her back. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've given it some thought, and I'm pretty sure they're referring to a statue of some sort."

"What makes you think that?" the drake continued to question.

"Well, think about it. All of our legends tend to be vague; they give the story but never mention any individuals. The only way specific monsters ever get signaled out is a statue."

Snowy nodded. "Okay, I see where you're coming from, but are there even any statues in Waterfall?"

"There's one." Answered MK.

"Where?" The two other monsters asked at once.

The young lizard gestured with his head. "A little bit before the cliff that looks over the capital. Where it rains all of the time."

"Then that has to be it." Ayame stated. "What's the fastest way to get there?"

"Strike that, what's the way to get there that has the fewest puzzles and traps." Snowy corrected.

MK looked up for a moment in thought. "Hmm… Probably the river." He said finally.

"The river?" Ayame spoke.

"How is that that even remotely safe?" Snowy lectured the other monster.

"It is, I swear. The water doesn't start getting crazy until much lower down."

"Sounds good to me!" Ayame announced tossing the supply bag around MK's neck. "Lead the way."

"Hey, how did I get stuck with the bag?"

"Didn't you say you wanted it?"

"No!"

"Oh, well I thought you did." The Astigmatism began walking down the path before the monster could say another word.

"Hey wait!" MK shouted and the two followed after.

The odd group descended down into the caves of Waterfall in relative silence. Ayame was content to let it hang for the moment; she was too preoccupied with trying to take everything in. The whole of waterfall amazed her, it was like another world compared to the capital. The lights, the sounds, the feel of the air; it all had a mystic quality to it, like a world of dreams.

Eventually the group came upon a place where the water cut across their path and they stopped. "Right…" MK said more to himself than to the others. "I forgot he and I just kind of jumped over this last time."

"Did you get us lost already?" Snowy asked, more than a little annoyed.

"No!" MK rounded on him. "This is still the right way."

"What do we do then?" Ayame asked.

The young monster began looking around in the dark. "Hold on, there are some bridge flowers around here somewhere."

"Or, we could do this." Snowy said as he stepped up to the water's edge. The stream was moving slowly, but was quite wide and quite deep. Ayame herself was sure she could run over it fast enough and he could simply fly over it, but MK had no such method she knew of. She was surprised the drake had not suggested leaving him behind.

Snowy spread his wings and Ayame felt the air grow cold around her, colder even than in Snowdin. With a single flap, the drake pushed the frigid air towards the water and a large portion of its surface froze solid all the way to the other side, forming a bridge for them to cross.

"Wow, you really are getting better." MK commented looking at the other monster's handiwork.

"Unlike someone," Snowy said as he began to cross the bridge.

MK let out a growl. "Hey, I was trying to be nice!"

"If you were really trying to be nice, then you shouldn't have expected anything in return." The drake said over his shoulder.

Ayame giggled to herself before stepping out onto the bridge herself. "Hey, Ayame," MK said, stopping her. "Why do you want this treasure anyway?" he asked. The lizard spoke softly as he stared at the drake's back, clearly not wanting him to overhear.

Ayame looked at him for a second. "Hmm? Me? Oh, I don't really want it. I'm just along for the ride really. Why, what do you want it for?"

The other monster took a moment before answering. "If it really is powerful like you say, then I hope it makes me stronger. Then I'll show him. Then maybe… maybe I can do something useful too." The young monster trotted on and Ayame watched him pass. "Oh," he added, "If you really don't want it at all, then do me a favor and keep it away from him." and he went on. Ayame let the other two get a little ways further ahead of her. She smiled to herself again. She really wouldn't have to do anything herself. Everything was falling into place perfectly on its own. She had stumbled upon a disaster that was bound to happen on its own sooner or later even without her help. She counted herself lucky that she had found it in time and would be there to witness all of the good parts. It seemed they had only required a little spur in the right direction. Now, she need simply wait and watch.

They passed through several more caves in silence. The group kept a good distance between themselves unless otherwise necessary. All three of them were apparently very capable of seeing in the dark, so losing one another was not a problem. The only time they did get together was when MK took the lead to show them where to go.

Eventually, they reached another cave that Ayame was familiar with. The blue light from the water filled the cavern and the shimmer from the slowly moving stream created a multicolored aurora as it bounced off the crystals in the ceiling. Wooden walkways wove their way around small islands and patches of tall grass that stuck up out of the water.

Ayame watched as a duck fluttered down from parts unknown and land in the water next to her. It pecked at a lily pad before picking it up in its bill and carrying it off to where it made its home. She smiled to herself before turning to her companions. They were both looking straight ahead as if the wonders of this place meant nothing to them. She supposed it was possible, living so close to it, though she hoped this was a place she never grew numb to the majesty of.

MK stopped at the edge of one of the paths where the water ran parallel with them and he waited for everyone to catch up. "Here," he said when they were gathered around him. "We can start going by water now and get there the faster."

"Are you sure it will go the right way?" Ayame asked.

MK nodded. "One really boring weekend, I came here and tried to trace where a bunch of the streams ran. I threw sticks into the water and would chase them to see where they went. This one went pretty much all the way to the bottom and definitely passed through the cave with the statue."

"And you're sure it's safe?"

MK rolled his eyes at the other monster's caution. "Like I said, the water doesn't start getting crazy until way further down."

"One other question." Snowy spoke up. "How do you expect us to travel by water exactly?"

Ayame looked around her and she realized Snowy was right to question. There was nothing all they could use for passage. No trees, no floating platforms, and certainly no boats.

MK merely stared straight ahead for a moment before admitting, "I hadn't thought about that."

"Of course you didn't." Snowy sighed. The drake pushed his way past the other monster and stepped up onto one of the wooden support poles driven into the stream. "Once more, I have to do everything," he teased.

Snowy took a deep breath and the air seemed to go cold once more. A mist coalesced over the water before the monster, getting denser and darker by the second. Ayame watched as the center of the cloud hardened into a ball of ice, small at first, but steadily growing larger and larger. The cloud of mist grew around it as the drake worked his magic. The ball of ice became a bowl that grew wider and longer until it began to resemble the shape of a small boat. Then it dropped into the water with a splash where it continued to grow until it was big enough for the three of them to fit.

The chill in the air was pushed away as Snowy released the spell and he stumbled off of the pole. Ayame was at his side to catch him before he could fall over. "Can I get that food we brought?" He said weakly.

Ayame nodded and went to pull the bag off of MK. Fishing out the food, she held it out to Snowy who ate it greedily. "You didn't have to overdo it like that." She told him.

The monster finished the food before answering. "True, but I wanted to see if I could do it." The grin he flashed her made her want to smack him.

"It's not going to melt, is it?" MK chimed in, looking down at the vessel.

"That's not how ice magic works." Snowy informed him, already seeming no more tired than he had been before the spell. "It'll stay until I don't want it to anymore."

"I'm not going to freeze my butt off sitting in it, am I?" he asked next.

"No, it's self-contained."

MK looked at the other monster in shock. "Wait, you tied it off?"

The drake raised an eyebrow at the other monster. "That's not what I meant but, yes, I tied it off."

"How?"

"The way Ryan showed me."

"I get that, he showed me too, but how? I've been trying to get it right for weeks!"

"Well, it's different between spells so I wouldn't know how it works for whatever magic you've been trying to do."

MK groaned. "How is it Ryan can do anything with magic in, like, two seconds? It's not fair!"

The drake spread his wings slightly. "He's a human; that's just how it works."

"It's still not fair…" MK grumbled.

"Hey, he can't _really_ do just anything. Try asking him to light a candle on the other side of a room some time. He'll probably make the flame in his hand before moving it to the candle or something like that."

The idea puzzled MK. "Why not just, you know, light the candle?" he questioned.

Snowy smiled at the other monster like he was keeping some big secret to himself. "Because he can't." MK's shock returned, even Ayame was a little surprised by that. "The man can't form spells more than a few feet away from him and can't maintain them much further than that. See? We all have our limits." Snowy glided down to the boat as he finished. With a flap of his wings, he pushed the boat closer to the dock for the other two to get on.

Ayame stepped onto the boat slowly and nearly panicked when it began to rock back and forth beneath her. But she was able to settle herself and the boat and sat down with a sigh. MK jumped in after and the boat shook so much she thought it might flip over. She tried to yell at him but her voice only came out in a squeal. The monster looked at her and broke out into laughter. She would have gotten up and hit him, but she was rooted where she sat, her claws digging into the sides of the boat. Instead, she stored away this moment, deciding it was time to let the monster's true name slip sooner rather than later.

Once they were all in, Snowy hopped to the other side and pushed them away from land with another gust of wind. The boat was picked up by the slow moving current and they were on their way.

"So, Ayame," Snowy said as he hopped down into the boat. MK stood looking over the front excitedly a few feet from them. The drake kept his voice low, "Tell me more about this treasure."

"There isn't much, sadly. It's apparently a jewel of some sort or resembles a jewel, the stories I heard weren't very consistent about that part."

"And where did you hear this story from exactly?" The monster was clearly looking for some flaw in her story, too bad for him there wasn't one.

She decided to tell him the truth, after all the best lies are rooted in it. "I first heard it from a few of the guards in the city, then from a few council seats in the castle and finally it seemed to spread to every corner of New Home. Everyone seemed to be talking about it, but no one has had the courage to go looking for it, yet."

"No one, not even the guards?" Snowy asked doubtingly.

Ayame shrugged. "They do have jobs, you know. Maybe they just haven't had the time yet, in their case."

Snowy seemed to concede that point. "How old is this rumor anyway?" he went on.

"It was still going strong when I left." She told him.

"So it could be gone already?"

"I suppose it could be, but I doubt it."

"Why's that?"

"Well, the object is supposed to be powerful, right? Have you seen any evidence to suggest some monster has suddenly gained a tremendous amount of power?"

"No…"

"Then there you go."

The monster clearly did not like that he had to agree with her. "I still have several problems with this…"

"Hey, if worst comes to worst, either the story was a lie or the artifact is already gone. Either way who cares? I'm having fun." Ayame thought back to what the other monster had said and added, "But if it turns out that it _is_ real, what would you do with it?"

"What would you do with it?" Snowy snapped back.

"I asked first." Ayame said a little too sugary. She was beginning to get frustrated by the monster.

Snowy looked down for a moment, considering. "If it was real, hypothetically, and it was some powerful artifact, then I'd use it to help Ryan destroy the barrier. So we can all get out of here and live together on the surface."

Ayame blinked at the response. "If all you want is him, why not just use it to keep him here?"

Snowy chuckled to himself. "I think he hates it here… I keep catching him looking around everywhere, as if he's surprised it's all still here, and then he just looks sad. I mean, he was born on the surface. It makes sense that he would want to go back."

"So what? I don't get why that's stopping you."

"What do you mean you don't get why?" Snowy said angrily. "What, am I supposed to just ignore his wishes for my own gain? That's pretty selfish don't you think?" The drake stood up, still glaring at her.

"Uh, guys?" MK said warily from the front of the boat.

"One second," he said to the other monster before turning back to Ayame. "Is that what you meant? Is that really how you think? Well?"

Ayame kept her mouth shut. Much more of this and she would need to do something about the monster.

"GUYS!"

"What?" They both shouted back at the young lizard.

"Remember how I said we didn't have to worry about rough water?"

Something clicked in Ayame's head at that moment. The monster was talking over a dull roar, they had all been. And it was getting louder by the second. "Oh, do not tell me!" Snowy yelled to the air.

"I may have been wrong about that." MK finished.

The other two crowded into the front of the boat and looked over the bow. Ahead of them, the glowing blue water dropped away to nothing and it was come up fast, too fast. In the darkness of the tunnel, they had not noticed the water gradually picking up speed as it carried them with it.

Snowy jumped up onto the bow and flapped his wings. A great gust tried to pull them back, but it barely slowed them down. He tried again and again, but it only delayed the inevitable. The falls approached, and Ayame could see that it would not be a short one. "If anybody suddenly has some magic that they think would help, now would be a great time to use it!" The drake shouted. Neither jumped up to volunteer. Ayame knew she could do nothing to help and she didn't think MK knew any magic at all.

Realizing he was alone, Snowy redoubled his efforts. The monsters talons dug into the boat and he flapped his wing desperately to try to slow them down. The fall continued to get closer despite all efforts made against it. Just before the edge, Snowy collapsed into the boat from exhaustion. Ayame tried to shake him awake, desperate to have him try again even if it killed him, but the monster's eyes would not open. "I'd hold onto something!" MK shouted and the boat tipped forward.

Ayame shut her eyes as she suddenly found herself weightless. She clutched to Snowy's limp body, the only thing near her. The wind began to howl and she knew she was falling. It drowned out MK's shouts. She kept her eyes tight and tried not to think about what would happen next.

It seemed to take forever. Ayame began to wonder if it would ever end. She dared to open her eyes for just a moment and regretted it immediately. She watched the bottom of the falls rush up to her face. She tried to scream, but she hit the water before she could manage. And then everything went black.

 

Ayame faded back into consciousness slowly. For a moment it felt like she was still falling. She tried to struggle against it but her mind would not move fast enough. Her vision came back next, fuzzy at first. A great shadow loomed over her, seeming to stick out of the ground. A part of her thoughts registered that she was no longer in the water. She fought to wake up. A voice floated somewhere far off. "This is not your grave," it said, "but you are welcome in it." Eventually, her vision cleared and her mind came into focus. She struggled to her feet, her body aching from the fall. "What?" she said.

The shadow moved closer, resolving itself in the half light of the cavern. The monster looked like a giant onion with a goofy looking face and tentacles sticking out of the water around it. Ayame herself was on a narrow shelf of land that hugged the wall of the cavern. There was no waterfall nearby. The pool before her was still but for the movements of the monster in it. "Oh," it said in a much different voice to that which Ayame had heard a moment ago. "You're awake. Hey… there…"

"Where am I?" Ayame said, holding her head.

"You fell down the falls." The monster told her, and then it all came rushing back to her. Frantically, she looked around until she found Snowy and MK lying a few feet from her. MK was just beginning to get up himself while Snowy did not stir. "I brought you here to see if you were okay." The monster went on. When MK was back on his feet he shook his head and looked over at Ayame. He seemed dazed, then his gaze went to the monster in the water and he seemed to snap back into focus. "Oh, good. You're alright too!" The large monster said to him. "Hiya! I'm Onionsan. Onionsan, y'hear!" The monster smiled down at him. And MK smiled back.

"Yo!" he said in greeting.

"Hiya!" Onionsan said in return.

"Yo!"

"Hiya!"

"Yo!

"Hiya!"

"Is this going to go on much longer?" Ayame interrupted. "There's something a bit more demanding at the moment, I think." She was leaning over Snowy, trying to check if there was anything physically wrong with him. MK went to the other side of him and the great shadow of Onionsan loomed over the three.

"You don't think he…" the large monster mumbled warily.

"No," MK announced. "I'm sure he's fine."

"Are you sure?" Ayame questioned. "He really overworked himself back there."

"Yeah, he's tougher than that, watch." MK went over to the edge of the water and ducked his head into it. He came running back with his cheeks puffed out and he leaned over Snowy as he opened his mouth and water fell on the monster with a "bleck." The drake jumped up almost instantly.

"Hey! What the-?" The drake looked around confused, starting with MK and Ayame and ending on Onionsan who still loomed above them. "Am I dead?" He asked sounding more irritated than worried.

"Not yet." Ayame told him.

"Yay, everyone's fine!" Onionsan said excitedly, the monster's tentacles undulated around him. He then got closer to the edge of the water and sunk lower down so his eyes were level with them. "So, how'd happen? Didn't you guys know traveling by water was dangerous?"

Snowy and Ayame shot MK a look. "What?" He defended.

"We were just passing through." Snowy said, turning back to the larger monster. "Trying to get somewhere." He didn't want to say anything about the treasure and hoped no one else would either.

Onionsan's face lit up. "You're visiting Waterfall, huh! It's great here, huh! You love it, huh!"

The three other monsters exchanged puzzled looks. "Yes?" Ayame said.

"Yeah! Me too! It's my Big Favorite. Even though, the water's getting so shallow here… I have to sit down all the time, but… hey, that's okay! It beats moving to the city! And living in a crowded aquarium. Like all my friends did. And the aquarium's full anyway, so, even if I wanted to… That's okay though, y'hear! Pretty soon we'll all be free, y'hear! I'm gonna get out and live in the ocean, y'hear!"

"That's… great." Snowy said awkwardly and he turned back to his companions. "Well this is a wonderful turn of events. Any idea where we are?" The question was directed at MK who shook his head. "I thought you knew every inch of this of this place?"

"Well, I was wrong! There, happy?"

"No, we're still lost!"

"Um… hey," Onionsan spoke up. He had crept even closer to edge of the water while they had been talking. "Where are you guys trying to get to? I might be able to help."

"You know a statue anywhere around here?" MK asked.

"You mean the one right before all of the rain? Yeah! There's a path to that cave right up there!" Onionsan told them, pointing with one of his appendages. "You just got to walk up the path on the cliff and you've arrived!"

The three followed where the monster gestured with their eyes. The gloom consumed the cavern before reaching a wall but they had no reason to doubt. "Thanks," Snowy said to the monster. "For saving us as well."

"No problem! I couldn't let my new friends drown, could I?"

Snowy nodded. "Right, well… see you later."

The three started walking along the shelf of rock that lined the wall in the direction they had been told. "I'll see you around. Have a good time. In Waterfall!" Onionsan said behind them.

By the time they reached the path, the strange monster was already out of their minds. It went steeply up the side of the cavern. From where they stood, they could see that it zigzagged back and forth several times before disappearing once more into darkness above.

"Well I don't know about you, but I'd rather not be here any longer." Snowy said and he started his way up the slope.

"How are you feeling?" Ayame asked the drake as they made their way up.

"Fine." The monster told her. "Why?"

"You looked like you had exhausted yourself back there. We thought you might have fallen down."

"I did. We all did, remember?" he joked.

"You know what I mean."

"Yes, I do." Snowy said a little too fiercely. "Don't worry it'll take more than playing with a little wind to put me down for good."

Ayame let the monster walk ahead of her and she fell back in with MK. "He's trying to act tough." She told the lizard.

"Yeah, he always does that." MK said.

"If he's pushing himself too hard he might kill himself. You're not worried?"

"Not really," he told her. "If he was dumb enough to do something like that, it's not my fault. I didn't ask him to and I don't expect him to."

"New problem." Snowy announced from ahead of them. They picked up their pace to join him. The drake was looking up. The path had ended abruptly in front of him; it looked as if it had fallen away some time ago. Ayame followed his gaze and found that he was looking at the entrance to a tunnel, likely the one they needed. "Still got that rope?" He asked the Astigmatism.

Ayame found that she had somehow still kept hold of the bag they brought through their ordeal. She fished inside for the rope and handed it to the drake. He took one end of it in his beak and let the rest drop to the ground. "Wait here." He told them before jumping off the ledge to fly up to the tunnel above. The monster disappeared for a minute before poking his head down to look at them. "Alright MK, you first."

Ayame helped tie the other end of the rope around the monster and then signaled to Snowy that they were ready. The monster was pulled up and into the wall head first. "Ow! Watch it!" He shouted before adjusting himself to be able to walk along the stone as he was pulled up. Soon, the monster was out of sight and then the rope was thrown back down to her. She grabbed hold and tugged on it to signal she was ready and then she was pulled up the cliff while shimming up the rope herself.

All three now safely at the top, Snowy pulled the rope out from under the rock he had used to hold it down and gave it Ayame who coiled it up and put it back in the bag.

"And there, ladies and gentlemen, we see the importance of being prepared." Snowy announced.

Once gathered, the three made their way down the tunnel. It did not take long for MK to recognize where they were again and take the lead. Soon, they heard the sound of rain in the distance and they came upon a weathered rock that held the vague shape of some ancient monster. An umbrella was stuck between its head and its shoulder, keeping the water off of it. It must have been a recent addition, for it looked like the water had already done its damage.

"This is definitely the statue." Ayame said.

"But where's the treasure?" MK added.

From behind them, the three monsters heard a high pitched bark and they turned to find a small, white dog sitting in the middle of the path a little ways back. Before any of them could say anything, the dog bounded off down one of the branching tunnels and out of sight.

The group immediately jumped to chase after it, the event being too strange to ignore. Rounding the corner, they did not have to run far before they hit a dead end in a small cave not far into the tunnel. The dog was nowhere to be found. The cave was empty but for a piano and a sign embedded in the wall. The three immediately began investigating.

MK went over to the sign. He read it aloud. "A haunting song echoes down the corridor. Won't you play along? Only the first eight are fine."

"What's that supposed to mean? What song?" Ayame asked.

"Sounds like a puzzle to me." MK said and she was inclined to agree, but it was certainly a cryptic one.

Snowy looked up at the piano. A column of ice rose up in front of him and he hopped on top of it so he could look at the keys. He noted that they were very pristine for having sat in a cave, looking no worse than the one he had seen in Papyrus's home. He gave one of the keys an experimental tap with his beak and a note rang true in the cave. "Well that sounds in tune to me." He announced.

"Undyne likes to play piano a lot." MK explained to Ayame.

"That still doesn't give us any idea as to what we're supposed to do." Ayame reminded them.

"Well, I think it definitely has something to do with this piano." Snowy maintained.

"Okay, but how?" Ayame questioned. "That sign isn't exactly very helpful. I don't hear any song."

"Maybe we're still missing something. Let's look around some more." MK suggested.

Snowy looked over the keys once more. He gave another an experimental tap and then another. "No, that's not right." He said to himself and tried a different combination of keys. "Maybe…" he kept tapping away, trying to form the melody he had in his head. Eventually he got it and the eight notes resonated through the cave. But as the music faded, the ground seemed only to rumble more until a part of the wall fell away to reveal another cave hidden beyond.

Snowy jumped down from the piano to look at the newly made entrance in surprise. "What did you do?" Ayame questioned as she and MK walked up behind him.

"I don't know." He told them, his disbelief plain. "I was just trying to play that thing that Ryan's always whistling."

"Why would that-?" Ayame cut herself off as she realized there was no reason the monster would have the answer.

The three turned back to the break in the wall. They could see nothing inside. "We won't learn anything out here." Snowy said at last and he went towards the gap.

Poking his head in, he found another small cave, empty but for a pedestal he could just make out in the light that filtered in from the one they came from. On top of the pedestal was what looked like a large red jewel, perfectly spherical. "I think I found it." He announced, and the others were behind him in an instant.

"So it is real." MK said in an awed whisper. The three entered the room cautiously, aware that there could still be any number of traps in place. They crept up to the pedestal as if the treasure might run off if they moved too quickly.

"The ancient treasure." Snowy said almost reverently. Ayame hung near the back. She watched as both of the monsters reached for the strange orb, watched as the looks on their faces turned from awe to confusion to anger as each saw that the other was reaching for it as well. She smiled to herself.

"What are you doing?" Snowy asked the lizard.

"What do you mean what am I doing? What are you doing?" MK shot back.

"Are you trying to tell me _you_ want the treasure?" Snowy went on. "What could you possibly do with it?"

"More than you ever could!" Mk shouted at him.

"Oh, right. Knowing you, you were just going to use it for yourself!"

The lizard gritted his teeth as he bit back what he was going to say. Instead saying, "And what high and mighty purpose were you going to use it for?"

"To try to break the barrier!"

"Well, so was I!"

"No you were not!"

"How do you know?"

"The thought never even crossed your mind."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know! You can barely think past your own two feet!"

MK growled. Ayame thought he might bite the other monster. "That's it!" He shouted. "I've had enough of this! And I've enough of you. I'm taking the treasure and going home!"

"You're not going anywhere with the treasure!" Snowy told him firmly.

"Oh yeah? And who's going to stop me, you?"

"Damn right."

The two were practically butting heads at that point. Ayame was surprised sparks were not arching between their eyes. Before anything else could happen, however, the three heard a familiar bark from the entrance to the cave. They all looked and found the same small, white dog standing atop the pile of rubble made by the crack. The dog hopped into the room and over to the pedestal. They each watched in disbelief as the dog seemed to absorb the red orb into its form before it bounded off. "Hey, what the?!" MK said as he gave chase.

The dog did not run to the exit, instead walking straight through a wall, disappearing. MK slammed his head into the same spot a moment later and fell back onto his rear.

Snowy went over to help the monster up, and after a long moment of shock, they looked back to one another. Then they both broke out into roaring laugher and fell backwards onto the ground.

Ayame's shock remained, instead shifting to the other two caught up in there hysterics. "Is that it?" She said.

The two monsters on the ground took another moment to calm down before addressing her. "I guess so." Snowy said.

"I don't know what we can do about something like that." MK added through labored breaths.

"No, I mean you two." Both monsters looked up at her, confused. "You both looked like you were about to kill each other a second ago. What happened to that?"

"Well, the treasure's gone…" MK said.

"It has nothing to do with the treasure! That was just what was supposed to set you two off, and it almost did! So, where did that go?"

"I don't follow…" Snowy told her.

Ayame rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on! I mean, it's obvious to anyone that you two hate each other!" Ayame yelled. She pointed at Snowy. "You do nothing but make fun of him, you put him down every chance you get, and you've practically called him stupid to both my and his face." She switched over to MK. "And you, you can barely glance at him without seeming furious; you wanted to abandon him and take the treasure for yourself!"

"Hey that's not true!" MK shouted back. "Snowy might be a butt, but at least he cares about others, unlike you!"

Snowy jumped in as well. "Yeah, and he might be annoying, but do you really think I would be here if I genuinely couldn't stand the guy? You know nothing about us, so stop pretending like you do!"

Ayame stared at them incredulously. "What, are you two trying to tell me that you're friends now?"

"Yes!" The two said simultaneously, and then they turned to look at one another confused, "What?"

Ayame stood with her mouth agape as the monsters looked at each other. She then let out a great shriek that nearly shook the whole cave. "I don't get it!" She screamed. "None of you make sense! You all act so backwards that it's making my head spin. I can't take it anymore!"

The other two turned back to the Astigmatism. "Ayame, we…" Snowy tried. There was a flash of light and then the two were alone. "Wait!" he shouted, but it was too late.

MK looked around the room frantically. "We should go after her." He suggested.

"No," Snowy said. "She may need a minute alone. I think the stress of everything finally caught up to her."

The other monster nodded, seeing the logic behind it. "Alright." Finding nothing else to do, MK sat in the middle of the cave.

"Hey, about what was said before," Snowy began.

"Don't worry about it. She was wrong." MK said without looking up from the ground.

"No, she was right: I do nothing but make fun of you all the time. But, there's a reason for that." The drake sat down across from the monster and MK looked up at him. "Without trying to sound condescending in anyway, this whole training thing we've been doing with Papyrus and Ryan and Undyne has come a lot easier for me that it has for you. And I never thought that that was fair. After all, this was what you wanted to do. I just didn't want you to lose motivation due to some imaginary standard that I accidentally set for you. And, well getting you a bit angry always seemed to work better than anything else to keep you driven, so I rolled with it. But that doesn't change the fact that I probably went too far a few times. So, I'm sorry."

MK chuckled. "I'm sorry too, for always being such a dunce."

Snowy smiled. "You're honestly not that bad. It's just part of your charm, really."

They both laughed. "Friends then?" MK asked.

Snowy nodded. "Friends."

"Do you think we should find Ayame now?"

"I do."

"Where do you think she went?"

Snowy thought for a moment. "I have one idea."

 

Ayame sat upon the cliff that overlooked the capital, quietly sobbing to herself. She looked down at the monsters sprawling through the streets below her. The fake sky of the dome shone the solid pale blue of the early afternoon and the city below was as busy as it always was at that time of day. Ayame looked down on the city and it made sense to her. Even from where she sat, she could pick out a few individuals and know exactly what they were doing and why they did it. The monster's here worked logically as they made their way through the crowded streets, going to jobs, stores, or returning home. It made sense, and for the first time she realized she missed that familiarity of home.

And yet, she could not make herself go down to those streets, something held her back, a feeling that she couldn't explain. She couldn't go back and yet why not? The thought of returning to that frozen wasteland of a town repulsed her, but she could not make herself go home either. She could not even justify it being because of her father that time. "How?" She asked herself. "How did everything go so wrong? And why do I feel so bad about it?"

She heard the click of rock hitting the ground and turned around. Snowy and MK were standing in the mouth of the tunnel before the cliff. They were both dripping wet from the cavern before, and they looked at her in surprise. "Oops." MK said.

Ayame stood up and opened her true eye. "Wait!" She heard Snowy shout, but she did not stop. She cast her illusion and quickly hid behind one of the rocks at the back of the cliff. The other monsters blinked away the after images of her spell and looked around them. "Darn it." Snowy finished.

"Sorry." MK said, probably meaning about the rock.

"It's not your fault." Snowy told him. "The chances of us catching her were pretty slim anyway."

She heard MK sigh. "That sucks. I was hoping I could at least apologize for yelling at her."

"Yeah…" agreed Snowy.

They wanted to apologize to her? Why? After she purposefully wanted to drive a wedge between them, _they_ were sorry?

"Hey," MK went on, "Before we left, you said something about Ryan warning you about her. What did he say?"

Snowy chuckled. "That she has a tendency to mess with people; and that, if I could, to try to be nice to her. That's the whole reason I decided to come along in the first place. He said that she could really use a friend. And after today, I'm inclined to agree."

"Yeah, you're probably right." MK agreed.

"Why?" Ayame said from her hiding spot. She held back fresh tears and came out into the open. The other monsters were once more looking at her in surprise as she revealed herself, she ignored it. "Why would he tell you to be nice to me? What would he gain from that?"

The two glanced at each other. "Nothing," Snowy told her. "I think he was just worried about you. When you first got here you seemed sad, I think he just wanted to help."

"But why?"

"Because you're his friend." MK told her as if it were obvious.

Ayame clenched her fists. "Friend?" She said angrily. "Why would I be his friend? I tried to steal him from his girlfriend, I've never said a single nice word to him, and he even snapped at me once! Why would he consider me a friend? For that matter, what does that word even mean? You two claim to be friends and yet you're only ever at each other's throats! Sallie and Ruby used to hate each other and now they act like sisters! And on top of that, you are all living with a human! Do you understand how absurd that all sounds?"

Suddenly exhausted from everything that had happened. Ayame collapsed to her knees and dropped her head. Snowy and MK stood to go over to her. "Just because you're friends doesn't mean you get along all the time, it doesn't have to mean you always got along or always will get along either. That's not what being a friend is." MK told her.

"Then what does it mean?" Ayame asked without looking up.

"Well, to me it means caring about someone enough to put them before yourself." The lizard explained.

"That doesn't make any sense either."

"It doesn't have to." Snowy told her. "It means something a little different to everyone."

"Then how does it have any meaning at all?" Ayame argued. "If it's different for everyone then it's just nonsense!"

"It's not nonsense." Snowy maintained. "Because, regardless the reason behind it, a friend is the same for everyone. They're someone you spend time with; someone you share memories with, whether good or bad. You fight, you laugh, you cry, and through it all you still want to keep spending time with them; you can't imagine your life without them. And sometimes you might not be able to explain to yourself why, but that's okay; that's the magic of it."

Ayame looked up and found both of the other monsters smiling at her. Suddenly they looked different to her, but she could not say what it was. "I don't think I've ever had anyone like that." she admitted.

"Well, it's always a good time to start." Snowy went on. "And I think everyone back home would be willing enough to give you a chance."

"I can't go back." She told them. "Everyone there is crazy, and I've already messed up any chance with them."

"True, they are crazy. But they're the best kind of crazy. And no, I think they'd all welcome you back more than you realize."

"Really?" Snowy nodded and smiled at her once more. MK shook his head up and down vigorously in agreement. Ayame wiped her eyes. "Alright then, let's go back. I've had enough adventure for one day, I think."

Snowy let out a relieved breath. "I agree."

The three monsters stood up and walked back to the cave. The sound of trickling water greeted them and Snowy and MK stopped. They were still damp from their last trip through. Ayame held out an umbrella for all three of them to stand under and gave them a smile. She still was not sure everything would work out like they expected it to. But, she was at least willing to give it a try.

 

Ryan was just getting back to town from Whimsalot and Froggit's house as Snowy floated over to him to land on his shoulder. He could swear the drake was getting bigger. "How's it going?" He asked the monster. "You look tired. Fun day?"

"Exciting, to say the least." Snowy told him. "Where's Whimsalot and the other one?"

"They still have to do the other part of Undyne's job of checking up on the sentries." He joked. "They'll be around later. So, what did you do today that was so exciting?"

Snowy thought for a moment. "Remember what you had warned me about?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you were right. And I think she's finally realized it too."

"Really?" Ryan said in disbelief. He had expected it to take much longer.

"Yup. Actually that was what I was coming to grab you for. She wants to talk to us. I think MK has almost everyone at Papyrus's already."

Ryan gave a satisfied nod. It seemed like the day might end on a pleasant surprise. "Well then, I guess we should join too."

The two made their way to the skeleton house as Snowy gave Ryan the quick version of what had happened that day. "A dog huh?" Ryan questioned as the monster finished.

"I know it's hard to believe, but that's what happened."

Ryan chuckled. "That's hardly the strangest thing I've seen happen down here." he commented as they reached their destination. He opened the door to the noise of the crowd within. Everyone was talking back and forth about the usual. He picked up Ruby telling Sallie something about the capital, Papyrus was regaling Alphys and Undyne with a story that was likely blown wildly out of proportion, Undyne and Alphys seemed to still have that wall between them broken down. The scene made Ryan smile.

"I'll be right back." Snowy said and he hopped off Ryan's shoulder. Ryan noticed that MK and Ayame were not in the room. Or perhaps she was and they just could not see her. It was hard to tell.

"Everyone?" Snowy spoke over the noise, standing on top of the couch so everyone could see him. "I'm sure you're all aware that our family has had a new addition recently, and that things have been a bit… rocky at the start. Well, she would like to say something things about that. Ayame?"

As he had expected, Ayame and MK appeared in the middle of them as if she had always been there. Ryan took a seat next to Sallie. Everyone looked to the Astigmatism and waited.

"Hi, umm… I honestly have no idea what I was going to say." She trailed off and looked at the floor. "I don't think I really know the words to say how I feel right now, it's all really foreign to me and anything that comes to mind to explain it just seems shallow…" She paused to take a breath. "But, whether the right words or not, I suppose I should start by saying I'm sorry. Some of you are aware of this, but I've tried manipulating all of you in one way or another simply because I thought it would be fun, and I realize now that that was wrong.

"Honestly, all of you make no sense to me. I tried to tear you all a part and you ended up closer than ever. All of my plans seemed to have failed in the best of ways, and at first I didn't get why. But now, I think I do, or at least I'm starting to. I want to understand it; I want to know what it is that I've apparently been missing all my life. I hope you can forgive me. I won't do anything like that again, I promise. Besides, I've realized all of you are interesting enough to watch without my help."

As she finished speaking, there was silence. Undyne was the first to speak up. "Forgive you?" She said, "What's there to forgive? You haven't done anything to me that I remember. You made me realize I was being a big goofball, and when I wanted to thank you, you ran off without a reason."

"Y-yeah," Alphys agreed. "If anything we're the ones who should be sorry."

Ruby spoke up next before Ayame could say anything in response. "You know, I was ready to not believe a word you said, and I think anything else but that wouldn't have convinced me, but you did. I forgive you, Ayame."

Sallie nodded in agreement. "I have two older brothers, so I know a thing or two getting attention through negative actions. Just don't do it again, okay?"

"I have no idea what anyone is talking about," Papyrus announced. "But if it is forgiveness you want, then I will give it."

Ayame turned finally to MK and Snowy. "Well, you already know how we feel." MK said.

"I guess that settles it then." Ryan said as he stood up and joined Ayame in the center of the room. "Ayame," he said, looking down at her. "Welcome to this strange disjointed family of ours. I hope you grow to love it for all its flaws and shortcomings."

Ayame smiled. "Thank you."

"Group hug!" Ruby and Papyrus both shouted, and before they knew it, Ryan and Ayame were both caught in the middle of everyone, being squeezed half to death. They all laughed as they tried not to fall over.

"Does this mean you'll stop threatening to throw snowballs at me?" Ruby asked.

"Let's not go that far." Ayame said jokingly. "It's still far too funny listening to you squeal like that."

"It is not!" Ruby argued.

"It really is." Sallie said. "You make a noise practically beyond the range of hearing. It's almost cute actually."

"Gee thanks…"

"Don't worry." Ayame added. "I would never actually do it. "I'm not _that_ sadistic." The group laughed anew.

The door then opened to admit Whimsalot and Froggit, who stood in the entrance looking at the scene before them confused. "Did we miss something?" The tiny monster asked.

Ryan and Sallie smiled at one at one another. "Party." They said at once.

"Party!" The rest of the group echoed, only working to deepen the two guardsmen's confusion, but they were quickly swept up in the tide and everything else was forgotten.

 

"And that is why I didn't kick Ayame to the curb from the beginning." Ryan concluded.

Muffet stared back at him in confusion. "I don't get it." She said. "How was everyone on the same page like that at the end? It's as if they already accepted her despite what she did."

Ryan gave a prideful smile. "Ah, I forgot to mention, didn't I?" He stood up and began to pace on his side of the table, having felt like he had been sitting too long. "You see, after the first incident, I did a little scheming of my own. I told everyone that I thought she might try to go after about what she would likely try to do, and I told them to play along as well. This excludes Alphys and Undyne; I genuinely didn't think she'd go after them, but it all worked out for the best anyway."

"Why?" Muffet probed, still confused.

"Ayame grew up in politics," Ryan explained. "She didn't know how to interact with people without seeing a means to an end. I knew all she needed was to see how real friends acted towards each other and she'd see the light. And it worked."

"Well, then it sounds to me like everything turned out for the best." Muffet stated. "Everyone's friends now, right? So what problem made you come here?"

"That's the problem!" Ryan said, rounding on her. "They're all best friends now! It's ten to one; for the past week I've felt like I'm being conspired against every moment, like I'm being sucked in to everything I don't want to do now."

"I'm sure you're imagining it." The spider monster told him. Another spider descended from above. It held a clock out to her. "My, my, it's gotten late. I'm afraid we'll have to end our little talk there. I have many matters I must get to before the day is done. It was fun though. The story you gave me might almost cover your debt." She smiled at him mischievously. "Almost."

Ryan looked around nervously. "Actually, I was wondering if there was any spot around here I could spend a night or two? You know, just to clear my head a bit."

Muffet waved a finger at him. "You may not run away from your problems. Especially ones that are more than likely just your imagination. You'll see."

Ryan sighed. "I guess I will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Snowy and MK are my favorite duo to write about. They are definitely getting their own story at some point.  
> Chapter song: Unity by TheFatRat. I should note, though, that you should try to find an older version of this song on youtube or something similar. The newer versions have this chorus added to it that I just think detracts from the song. If you'd like a link to a proper version, drop me a PM and I'd be more than willing to provide.
> 
> Until next week, have a good one folks.


	29. Traveller

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> General reminder: I like words.  
> As I say that while posting another 13,000 word chapter, you can take that as you will.

Sallie danced across the back room of the shop while she finished up her work, music once more blaring through the speakers from her phone. As far as the rabbit was concerned, there was reason enough to be happy. Things had been relatively calm for a good while and she had been able to put most of her worries to the side for a moment.

Ruby danced through the room alongside her, helping her clean up as the morning came to an end. Ayame was dancing between the tables as well, though she pretended to help more so than actually lending a hand. Still, she was happy to have the other monster around. Ayame's company had proved to be very enjoyable after turning over a new leaf, but she was definitely still Ayame.

Sallie would have never expected her life to turn into what it had. She was dating a human, her best friends were both monsters she had hated at one point, and the rest of her friends were such an odd bunch that she often caught herself wondering how they could all possibly get along as well as they did, but she certainly was not complaining. And she would not trade any of it for the world.

As the song came to an end and the work was finally done, the three monsters accidentally crashed into each other at the center of the room. After catching themselves from falling to the floor, they looked to one another and burst out laughing. Before they had fully calmed down, Undyne poked her head through the door. The surprise of that fact made Sallie jump and she turned down the music before the next song could start.

The guardswoman leaned halfway into the room. If she had any comment as to the scene she just saw, she kept it to herself. "Have any of you seen Ryan?" She asked.

The three girls turned to each other, exchanging confused looks. "Not since yesterday." Sallie told her.

"I haven't seen him since we left Papyrus's place." Ruby added followed by Ayame saying, "Same."

Undyne's look of annoyance deepened. "Why what happened?" Sallie asked her.

"I can't find him anywhere, that's what happened!" She exclaimed as she entered the room fully and leaned against the table next to them. She crossed her arms and looked angrily out the window in the back wall. "I get to the forest this morning and guess who was missing yet again. Whimsalot and Froggit said he showed up for ten minutes before saying he was taking the rest of the day off and vanishing before they could do anything about it."

"Is that weird?" Ayame asked, glancing between the warrior and the rabbit.

"Yes!" Undyne exclaimed at the same time Sallie said, "Not really."

The two looked at one another. "Hey, he might me flaky here, but even when his head was halfway to Hotland he still showed up to training every day." Undyne explained.

"I wonder what's wrong." Ruby said. Sallie had begun to notice, the more that she hung out with the fire monster, that the color of her form had the tendency to shift slightly with her mood. And as she darkened, she could tell she was more than a little worried. She simply shrugged; this was nothing out of the ordinary to her.

"Knowing him, it's something that none of us would think is a problem in a million years." Sallie grabbed her coat from a peg off the wall and turned to look at the others. "Well, are we going to look for him, or what?"

The other three looked at her with varying levels of confusion. "Do you think you know where he is?" Ruby asked.

She opened the door before answering. "I have a few ideas."

 

When the group stepped out of the trees and into the clearing that surrounded the doors which used to lead to the ruins, they were all surprised to find that it was empty. Sallie had seemed pretty confident they would find their rogue human there, but it did not seem like anyone had been there before them in quite some time. Ayame looked up at the doors, puzzled. "Why would he come here?" she asked no one in particular.

"Nostalgia," Sallie answered simply. The Astigmatism looked up at her with even more puzzlement. Before she could ask what she meant by that, the rabbit grumbled to herself, "I could have sworn he would be here."

"Well, he's not," Undyne said bluntly. "What's next on the list?"

Before Sallie answered, she thought she heard something beyond the clearing.

"Well?" Undyne urged, still waiting for an answer. She must not have heard the noise.

Sallie shushed the rest of them and tried to listen again. After a moment she thought she had something. Right at the edge of her hearing was what sounded like… "Laughter?" she questioned aloud.

"Where?" Undyne scanned out into the forest, trying to see through the trees.

"This way," She told them, gesturing them to follow.

They weaved their way through the forest and the snow that was nearly knee deep on some places for a few minutes and the sound did not get any louder. Sallie could not tell if it had been her imagination or they were simply moving away from them. "Are you sure you heard something?" Ruby spoke up after a time, sounding more than a little frustrated. She was not having fun in the snow.

"I think I hear it too." Ayame announced.

"Same here." Undyne added. Ruby groaned, but trudged on.

The trees thinned as they went on and the laughter did eventually get louder. Sallie could now tell that it was more than one person laughing, and one of them was definitely Ryan. She told the rest of the group this and they picked up the pace.

After another minute they were right on top of the noise. They emerged in another clearing, but it was empty. The four stood there, confused.

"Alright, what the heck?" Undyne shouted.

A blur went by Sallie's vision a moment later, so fast she almost questioned whether it happened or not, followed by a gust of wind that almost knocked her off her feet. When she gathered herself two more figures emerged into the clearing. One slid to a stop in the center and the other flew to land next to him. Snowy and MK looked all around them, for what Sallie was unsure.

The two barely spared any of the girls a second glance. "Where did he go?" MK asked.

"Where did who go?" Ayame answered.

"Ryan!" The two exclaimed.

"We haven't seen him." The Astigmatism went on. "As a matter of fact, we're looking for him too."

Both of the young monsters looked at her bewildered. "You mean you didn't see him?" Snowy pressed.

"No, why?" Ruby questioned.

The two then looked defeated. "Argh! We almost had him!" MK complained.

The man in question was then suddenly behind the two. He leaned down to say to them quietly. "You're going to have to try a lot harder than that."

Snowy, sparing no time to be shocked by his sudden appearance, immediately reacted by pushing himself into the air, but Ryan was gone before he was even off of the ground. He stood leaning against one or the trees at the edge of the clearing, arms crossed over his chest and looking as if he had been there all day. Snowy flapped his wings again and ice shot at Ryan. Ryan leaned to the side just enough so the ice struck the tree within an inch of him. Then he vanished again.

Sallie had to look around until he found him now standing behind the Snowdrake. "You still need to learn how to spread your shots better." He said to the monster. There was an audible pop as the air seemed to explode and send Snowy hurtling to the ground away from him.

MK took up a battle cry and charged at Ryan. He jumped headfirst at the human faster than Sallie would have expected of the monster. Ryan caught him by the head and tucked him under his arm. "That didn't work the first five times," he lectured, sounding nothing if not patient with him.

Still holding MK under his arm as the monster tried to kick himself free, he turned to Sallie and the others as if seeing them for the first time. He was all smiles as he waved to them. "Hey," he said before vanishing again. MK dropped to the snow with a grunt.

Though he was nowhere to be seen, Sallie asked, "What are you doing?"

"Playing tag," Ryan answered from behind her; she did not even jump.

"Why?" she asked instead.

He appeared in front of them again. "Why not?" More ice flew at Ryan; they were caught in the air by his own ice which sprouted from the ground without him even needing to turn. Sallie heard Snowy cry in frustration.

"You skipped out on training, that's why not!" Undyne told him.

"I showed up!" He said in his defense, bones sprung up from the ground around Ryan's feet, but he jumped away before they came close to him. Sallie looked around for Papyrus before she realized it was MK that had done it; an aura of blue surrounded the tip of his tail as a remnant of the spell. When had he learned that? "I knocked Froggit and Whimsalot out in less than ten minutes," Ryan went on, "so I decided to take a break, and that's when I found out these two followed me out here again. So I figured I teach them a lesson. I was going to come back after, but then you showed up."

"That was five hours ago." Undyne told him.

Ryan froze as he was about to dash off again. "Oh…" he said, looking embarrassed and surprised.

Faster than Sallie could comprehend, the guardswoman was in front of Ryan, spear in hand. Ryan himself wielded a sword which he used to deflect the other monster's blow. Sallie had not even registered that they moved until sound of the weapons hitting each other rang out.

"So you want to fool around, huh?" The warrior said. "Don't think I'm going to let you off easy for that."

"I would never even consider it." Ryan told her in a challenging tone. He pushed her back with his sword before jumping back himself. "But, you have to play along. Otherwise that would be unfair to Snowy and MK, and they've been trying for so long now."

"Yeah!" MK shouted, jumping at Ryan again who stepped out of the way with practiced ease.

Ruby leaned toward Sallie while this went on. "How do they _do_ that?" The monster whispered to her.

"I have no idea." Sallie whispered back. "Ayame, you're better at magic than us, do you…" she trailed off when she realized the monster was not there.

"Tag," the Astigmatism said as she placed a hand on Ryan's leg. None of them had seen her move either, not even Ryan or Undyne, who looked at her in shock. The monster sounded almost as if she did not understand what was going on. She looked back and forth between all of them. "What?" she asked. "Did I do it wrong?"

There was silence for a moment while everyone was still in shock. Followed by Snowy and MK's cry of "Ayame's it!" The two monsters flew in out of nowhere and tackled the monster into the trees.

"Why you little!" Sallie heard Ayame yell before it was drowned out by the other two monster's laughter. Their voices faded into the forest after a moment. Undyne lowered her spear and looked between Ryan and where the three had disappeared. She growled before turning away from Ryan and shouted, "Alright, that's enough, all of you!" as she followed after the other monsters.

"I should make sure they're alright." Ruby said. "Or at least make sure Undyne doesn't make it worse." She followed after the rest of them as well.

"Well, they were easy enough to get rid of." Ryan said, now standing next to Sallie.

"Ryan, what's going on?" She asked without looking at him.

"What? We were just playing a game." He told her trying to laugh it off.

"You're acting erratic." She told him turning to face him. "And the only time you do that is when something is bugging you. More than usual, anyway."

He shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Alright, so I was getting a little sick of my routine." He said, "Can you blame me? The last time I had a day off was…" he trailed off to think for a moment. "It's been a while." He said finally.

" _You,_ getting sick of routine?" Sallie questioned, a smile forming on her lips before she could help it.

"Hey, I have my limits too." He defended.

The two were silent for a moment, looking in each other's eyes. Sallie saw in his gaze what she had seen many times before. "You're thinking about leaving again, aren't you?" She asked him, not letting him dance around it anymore.

"I'm not going to leave until Undyne says I'm ready to." He informed her.

"You were still thinking about it."

Ryan sighed. "It's going to be soon, Sallie." His eyes dropped before adding, "Very soon, I suspect."

"So?" she maintained. "We've been over this before. That doesn't suddenly mean that everything has to end." Sallie stepped up to him so he could not look away from her. "You talk to the king, you set him straight, and then you come back and life goes on. Why do you keep acting like it's anything more than that?"

"Because nothing is every that easy, Sallie." He told her.

The rabbit monster shook her head, trying to understand why he was being so pessimistic about all of this. "Then, when you go, let us come with you, or something." She exclaimed. "I'm sure that will help your case."

"No!" he snapped at her, but he calmed down almost immediately. "No," he said again, softly. "This is something I need to do alone."

"Why?" she pleaded.

Ryan placed his hands on her shoulders and the look in his eyes nearly scared her. She had never seen him so serious. But there was something behind that. Was it… Panic? "Because I don't want you getting hurt." He said. "I don't want to see any of you hurt. I don't know what will happen when I go, but I want to spare you any pain I can." Sallie's argument died in her throat. Where had this come from? He nearly looked ready to break down in tears. Was he really that worried about them and what would happen if the king found out about what was happening?

Sallie wrapped her arms around him. "You big dolt," she began, he own voice shaking more than she would have liked. "Worry about yourself sometimes, okay?"

He chuckled and embraced her as well. "I'll try." He told her.

 

"You've seemed upset for days now. What is the matter?" Her mother had asked.

Sallie slammed the basket she had been carrying down on the table before turning to the other monster. "It's Ryan, what else could it be?" She told her. The past few days had seen her worry turn back into frustration as Ryan's mood had not shifted in the slightest after their talk in the forest. She threw her arms into the air in exasperation. "I don't get him! After all this time he still hasn't settled down at all. One second he acts like he never wants to leave and the next he seems to think that he has to disappear tomorrow!" Her mother stood behind the other end of the table, patiently, knowing her daughter's rant was far from over.

"Frankly I'm getting sick of it." She went on. "You think by now he would have realized that he has a place to come back to no matter what happens." She nearly choked on the next words. "That he has a home…" Sallie shut her eyes and regathered herself channeling her energy into her frustrations once more before going on. "What do I need to do to get him to see what's right in front of him? Does he not want to come back? Does he just see all of this as a stepping stone before he has to move on to the next thing?"

"I highly doubt that," Her mother interjected.

"Then what do I do?" Sallie asked fiercely. "I don't want to lose him again, especially not because he thinks it's the only possible end to all of this. I'm starting to think I shouldn't even let him leave at all…"

Sallie's mother stepped over to her and put an arm around her shoulders, holding her daughter close. "I know how you feel about him." She told her. "I felt the same way when it came to your father, and I've been watching you two long enough to know he feels the same way, and I understand the desire to want to hold him tight and never let go. But he isn't the type that that sort of thing will work on. Trust me; you'll only work to drive him away even more. As for trying to keep him here, I can think one at least one surefire way of doing that." The older rabbit hid her mouth behind her hand as she said that last part.

Sallie looked up at her curiously. "What are you…?" and then it dawned on her. "Mom!" Sallie pushed the other monster away, shocked that she could go to a place like that so casually.

Her mother spread her hands. "All I'm doing is making you aware of the options."

"That is _not_ an option." Sallie argued. "That isn't something I can just force on him! Besides, I'm not even sure if it's possible for a human and a monster to…" she trailed off, unwilling to voice it. And she called Ryan a prude.

"Well, you have at least tried, yes?" her mother urged.

Sallie felt her face get hot. "Maybe…" she said softly, before adding much more vehemently, "but that's hardly the point!"

"Alright, alright." Her mother put her hands back on Sallie's shoulders and smiled to show that she was only joking. "Now how about some actual advice from your mother? Ryan is the type that, once he has his mind focused on something, it is the _only_ thing he can focus on." She went on in a much more serious tone. "And whatever it is this mission he's put upon himself entails that what is on his mind now. In addition to that, he can only see and prepare for the worst – it's just his nature, and there's nothing you can do about that. That is why he sometimes keeps you at arm's length. He cares about you enough that he doesn't want you hurt if something were to happen." Sallie was about to tell her she knew as much already, but she held up a finger, cutting her off.

"Now there's only two things you can do in that situation: either wait until he's finished what he started so his focus can be on you, or talk to him. Tell him what you want and that he needs to stop putting you in some glass cage to be admired from afar like some fragile piece of art. And you should hardly need me to tell you which is the better choice. My daughter is anything but fragile."

The older monster placed a hand on her cheek before kissing her on the forehead, and leaving Sallie with her thoughts.

 

"Alright, I'm getting sick and tired of this whole chain of sorrow going on." Undyne announced inside of Grillby's later that evening.

Sallie looked up at the monster curiously. She had hardly been paying attention to what they had been talking about. Also at the table were Ayame, Ruby, and Alphys. Each of them was looking at her with a measure of worry, she realized. Had she really been that far gone? "What?" She asked the table.

"This happens every couple of weeks," Undyne explained, "Ryan gets mopey, then you get mopey, then Snowy gets mopey, then MK gets mopey, and I'm surrounded by a bunch of people being all sad, and then I get angry and just want to punch everyone." The monster leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "If I have to sit through it again, I think I might implode."

"You make it sound like I can do something about that." Sallie told her. It had become quite easy to stand up to the intimidating monster as of late.

"You're his girlfriend." Undyne stated. "Shouldn't you know how to cheer him up?"

"Don't you think I've tried?" She argued. "I've tried everything! And even the things that work only work temporarily. He can never seem to stop worrying about the damned future, like he has any control over it."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked timidly, not really wanting to get in between the other monsters argument.

"He keeps saying about how it's 'almost time' and that I should 'prepare for the worst.'" Sallie explained. "Honestly, how can it not be depressing?"

"Is that what he thinks?" Undyne questioned before letting out a bought of laughter. "If he thinks he's anything close to ready…" She trailed off at a look from the other monsters at the table.

"Either way, if this is how it's always going to be, I'm afraid he see that worst case as an inevitability and follow it blindly regardless of what actually happens. In fact I know that's what he'll do. And if that's the case, I'd rather he never leave at all. I know that's selfish of me, but…"

"No," Ruby interrupted before she could finish. "I think you're right. He shouldn't go." The words shocked Sallie and everyone else at the table as well. "There is no reason why the responsibility of the barrier, of the entire future of monsters, needs to be his burden. It's unfair to expect that of him; it's unfair for him to expect that of himself. Just because he's a human doesn't mean he owes us anything. If anything, we owe him."

"You know… I agree." Alphys added after a minute of silence. "We've all just sort of gone along with it because it was what he said he wanted to do, but we never even thought about whether or not it was something he _should_ do and I don't think it is."

"Guys…" Sallie said through a shaky voice. She was surprised to have her friends on her side for this. A part of her hand been afraid they would berate her for her thoughts, it was good to know she was not alone.

"You aren't actually serious about this, right?" Undyne butted in. The monster was now leaning on the table over her forearm. She regarded each of them with a measure of skepticism.

"Undyne, are you honestly going to sit there and tell us that asking Ryan to potentially sacrifice himself just for what he is is fair?" Ruby snapped.

Undyne looked ready to say something, but bit it back at the last moment and slumped back into her chair. "No," she breathed instead. "You're right; it's not."

"Good." Ruby leaned back in her own chair and, judging by the look on her face, just then realized what she had done.

"But that doesn't change the fact that this was something he decided to do." Undyne went on. "And I don't think anything could ever steer him away from it. He seems dead set on it like nothing I've ever seen."

"That doesn't mean we shouldn't try." Ruby maintained.

"And what do you suggest then?"

Sallie groaned and picked up her drink. "What is it?" Alphys asked her.

"I already went through this with my mom earlier…"Sallie grumbled around the rim of her glass.

"And what did she suggest?" Undyne inquired.

Sallie felt her face heat up again. "That I get knocked up." She admitted, and the warrior roared with laughter, pounding on the table as she did.

"Yeah, that sounds like her." Ruby mumbled. Sallie gave her a look that asked how she would know that.

"I don't think that's even possible…" Alphys added.

Sallie threw her arm into the air. "That's what I said!" Taking a breath, she forced herself to calm down. "That aside though, thank you for being on my side with this."

"Of course. We don't want to lose him either." Ruby looked at Ayame. "All of us don't, right?"

The Astigmatism, who had been relatively silent so, looked taken aback. "Hey, he's my friend too!" she defended, which seemed to satisfy the fire monster.

"So we're in agreement then?" Undyne asked. "We're going to try to get Ryan to want to just stay here? And how exactly are we going to do that?"

"Well that's the easy part." Ayame said and they all looked to her. "What? Are you forgetting that I used to practically make a living around getting people to do what I wanted them to do and making seem like it was their idea all along?"

"Does that mean you have a plan?" Sallie asked eagerly.

The monster waved her off. "Please, I had one ready the moment we started talking about this. Hell, I had one weeks ago, but with each of your help it will be even easier."

"So where do we start?"

"With a method similar to one that worked with a certain monster."

 

"You ever get the feeling someone's talking about you?" MK asked Ryan as he threw another rock into the river.

"I always have that feeling." He told the monster mournfully.

The kid thought on that for a moment. "Well, what does it mean?"

"More than likely," Ryan told him, "it means that my phone is about to ring and we're going to get dragged into something we'd rather not do today." His phone vibrated in his pocket. "What did I tell you?" He added while MK looked up at him in awe.

"Busy?" Sallie asked once Ryan had answered and hellos were out of the way.

He looked down at the monster next to him. "Not particularly, why?"

"Well, the girls and I were talking and we were thinking about taking a vacation."

Ryan blinked. "Ok… have fun?"

"I meant all of us."

"Oh… Where?"

"We were thinking the capital."

Ryan's eyes darted back to MK again who was staring back up at him, patiently waiting to hear what he was talking about. He turned away and lowered his voice. "Do you really think that's a good idea?"

"Undyne seems to think so. And don't give me any of that nonsense about monsters figuring out that you're human. I'm sure you'll be fine. You had us fooled for weeks, I'm sure you can make it a couple of days there."

"Sallie, Undyne sent a man hunt after me when I ran away. I'm sure she told every monster in the capital to be on the lookout for me, disguise or no disguise."

There was the sound of an argument in the background and then of the phone changing hands before Undyne's voice answered him. "Let's get one thing clear: outside of Snowdin there are only a handful of monsters who know what you look like and they have since been told that your humanity was a false alarm. I never told the general public. Do you think I'm dumb enough to cause that kind of hysteria?"

Ryan sucked in a breath between clenched teeth. "No…"

"Then it's decided, we're going." The guardswoman decreed. "In fact, I'm making it an order, as part of your training. You need a break; you've been far too wound up lately, understand?"

"I hardly think that vacationing just a few steps from the king will-"

"I said do you understand?"

"… Yes ma'am."

"Good." Undyne finished. Sallie's voice returned a moment later. "Start gathering up everyone else," she told him. "We'll work out the details over dinner at Grillby's."

Ryan looked behind him, on the other side of a few trees a little ways from the river Whimsalot, Froggit, and Papyrus were play fighting with Snowy. "Should be easy enough," he told her.

"Excellent. We'll be waiting!" The call ended and Ryan's arm dropped from his ear.

"So what's going on?" MK asked immediately.

"Well, I was at least half right." He told the monster.

 

"The path down will dump us out right around there." Undyne was telling Snowy as they stood on the cliff that overlooked the city. Out of the group, the Snowdrake was probably the most excited by their sudden trip. He had never seen the city before, despite his father working there often. And Ryan had to admit that, even if all else ended in disaster, seeing the smile on the young monster's face made him glad he decided to go along.

"That's my school over there." MK added, gesturing somewhere else amongst the many buildings below them with his head.

"How much longer until we get there?" Snowy asked, looking up at the one-eyed monster. They had all spent most of the day making their way across Waterfall, having decided that the hike would be a good start to the vacation, also realizing that the riverboat would not be able to carry all eleven of them. And while several of them were starting to get tired, the two youngest were certainly still full of excited energy.

"About another hour," Undyne told the Snowdrake. "Then a little ways to where we'll be staying and then we can do whatever we want!" Sallie elbowed the monster. "Okay, whatever we want, within reason."

"Where are we staying?" MK jumped in, purposely pushing himself against Snowy to try to move him so he could stand in front of Undyne.

"I would guess an inn, right?" Snowy gave MK a glare as he answered his question and MK looked back at him like he had two heads.

"The city doesn't really have any inns or hotels." Alphys explained, walking up behind the monsters. "They were all turned into permanent homes at one point or another. There's only one, really, which is below the city."

"And we are not staying there." Ryan chimed in.

"So where are we staying then?" Snowy asked that time.

"The guard's barracks." Undyne announced. "They're pretty empty at the moment, so we definitely should be able to steal some rooms for a couple of days."

"Really?" MK said excitedly at the same time Ryan said it nervously.

"I'm starting to get the feeling that you guys want me to have a panic attack." Ryan added.

"Fear not!" Papyrus said as he joined them at the edge, slapping Ryan on the back as he did. "The barracks should be the last place you will be discovered."

"Mind explaining that logic to me?"

Undyne turned to face him. Her look said that he was asking too many questions. "Like I said, the barracks are empty with no training going on. It will just be us and the few monsters that keep the place running, and most of them stay as far away from anyone else there as possible."

Ryan could see that he was losing this battle. "I still think there has to be a better option."

"There really isn't." Ayame said from behind him. The rest of the group was sitting on a nearby rock, taking a breather. "When we say the city is overcrowded, we mean it. So unless you'd like to stay at the castle,"

"No," Ryan interrupted.

"Then, you'll have to take what you can get." The monster finished.

Whimsalot floated over to join them as well. "It really should be fine." He said. "The place is huge. I've gone days without seeing anyone in that place during the off season."

"I'm glad you're all so confident…"

"Come on, Ryan, I'm sure we can trust them about this." Snowy said as he flew up to land on Papyrus's shoulder.

"I thought you said the barracks were right next to the castle though?" Ryan continued to argue, his question aimed at Undyne.

"It was, but we moved it some years back." She told him.

"More space," the hovering insect monster added.

"The old building's used for other things now. This one's nowhere near the castle, I promise."

Ryan took a moment to try to come up with another objection. He saw MK look up at Snowy perched on Papyrus's shoulder with distaste. As the monster spoke, he tried to jump up to the skeleton's other shoulder to no avail. Whimsalot saw this and helped carry him up. The three looked at each other and smiled.

Finally, it was Sallie that broke his will to protest. "If there's the slightest hint of trouble," she told him as she took his hand in hers, "then we can go. I'm just happy you were willing to give this a shot. But please, try to think that everything might go right this time? Don't act like the worst has already happened."

Ryan saw that he had already lost. He let out a breath and submitted. "Fine," he said, trying his best to smile.

"You guys coming yet or what?" Ayame yelled. She, Ruby, Alphys and Froggit were already half way down the path. The rest of them shared a look and quickly followed after.

 

The rest of the journey into the city was surprisingly uneventful. Ryan finally learned the proper path through Waterfall that did not involve nearly falling to his death, and when they finally made it to the cavern just before New Home and the buzz of countless monsters met his ear, he had to be pushed in order to keep him moving.

The city was another thing entirely walking through its streets as opposed to viewing it from above. The part they entered first reminded Ryan strongly of new home. The architecture itself was exactly the same, with a layer of technological advancements thrown on top of it such as lit signs and street lamps. Undyne had called it the old city district, it being the first part of the city to be built when monsters decided it was time to spread out from Home.

The wide avenue they walked down was filled with monsters returning home in the early evening. Some carried bags or baskets, others things that Ryan could not put a name to – monster inventions of some sort, he guessed. Various groups formed along the sidewalks where monsters came together to converse about their days. None of them paid him or his friends any mind. Many smiled and gave greeting as they passed, a few threw in a respectful acknowledgement of Undyne in some way shape or form, but nothing beyond that.

What surprised him the most, though, was how happy they all looked. Every monster that passed wore a smile, and they each moved with a content that Ryan felt contradicted their situation.

As they pushed their way through the street, Ryan quickly found himself swept up in the excitement shared by his friends. Snowy tried to get his attention every other second to point something out to him and MK took up the mantel of his tour guide while Whimsalot seemed to become Ryan's own. Sallie was talking with Ruby and Alphys about stores they wanted to visit while Undyne and Papyrus led the way. Ayame seemed to be hanging back from each of them for some reason.

"We were pretty shock by how similar it was at first ourselves." Whimsalot was saying to him. Froggit hopped up on Ryan's shoulder to join them. "But, trust me, there's a lot more to this city than that. There's four main parts counting the old city. Each of the other three are for monsters who find a measure of difficulty living under the old city's conditions. One is giant aquarium, with water-filled buildings all connected overhead by tubes; it's quite the sight to behind. Another is for monsters that need a bit more open air, like Snowy for example. And the last is for monsters that would find everything we use on a daily basis to be a bit small."

"That's an understatement, ribbit." Froggit chimed in.

His friend went on as if he had not spoken. "All of those districts meet at this big park in the center and from there another avenue will take you right to the castle." The monster pointed ahead of them to the castle, easily visible above everything else in the city even from the other end. "Quite a lot to explore, don't you think?" he finished.

Ryan chuckled at his antics. "It would be a bit harder to not get caught around here, don't you think?"

The monster shrugged. "I'm just pointing out a fact is all."

A short while later, as the light of the fake sky above grew from blue to gold, they arrived at a flat-faced stone building that made up nearly an entire block. A few steps rose up to a set of large wood double doors carved in a scene of battle between various monsters. "This is it." Undyne announced and led the group to the doors.

They stepped into a large atrium, the ceiling a good three stories above their heads. Columns rose up to it on either side of the room and statues stood between them. Ryan recognized a few of them, Undyne and a turtle that could only be Gerson were the two that caught his attention the most.

The group spread out in wonder, and Undyne clapped her hands to get their attention before she lost them for good. "Alright everyone, Whimsalot and Froggit can show you guys to your rooms. I need to go tell somebody that we're here and then I need to go out and grab a few things. In the meantime, feel free to settle in, and look around. Don't break anything, and don't do anything that will make me look bad. I'm already breaking several of my own rules letting you stay here, so just remember: I own this place, and I am very protective of it." She glared at all of them in turn before turning to Alphys where her look softened. "Wanna come with me, Doc?"

Alphys looked surprised by the question. "Um… sure!" She said quickly and Undyne nodded.

"Alright, we'll meet up later to decide what to do with the rest of the day." The warrior concluded. "Until then, dismissed!"

 

While everyone settled into their rooms, Ryan went with Whimsalot and Froggit on a tour of the barracks. The place was much larger than he had pictured, with the facilities to house hundreds, if need be. The four storied building's upper three floors were all living space and the building itself truly did take up a whole city block.

"Pretty much all throughout here are private sparing rooms." Whimsalot was saying. "You got sent to one if Undyne or one of the other instructors thought you needed some 'extra attention.'"

"Which was almost never a good thing, ribbit," Froggit added.

"I'm guessing you two ended up in one of these a lot then?" Ryan asked playfully as he continued to look around. The whole barracks felt… empty. On the way here the streets had been so jam packed with monsters he had been more worried about getting tripped and trampled than someone learning what he was. By comparison, this place felt like it was not even in the city.

"We may have been sent a few times," Whimsalot admitted, "if for no other reason than we were at a bit of a disadvantage to some of the other monsters here. I don't hold it against them though. You know what it's like: they're harsh, but it's in your best interest."

Ryan chuckled. "Yeah, if only it was easier to keep that in mind while you were getting slammed to the ground repeatedly." They all laughed at that. "You said there were other instructors?" Ryan added after they calmed down.

"A few, yeah," Whimsalot told him. "I don't think any of them are around though."

"Shame," Ryan whispered. He was not sure if he meant that or not.

"Well, that's pretty much it for this place aside from the main courtyard, but it's not really anything special. This place is pretty much dedicated to one thing and doesn't provide much in the way of distraction." The two monsters turned to Ryan. "So, do you want to head back and see if everyone's settled in or were you itching for a fight just now?"

Ryan gave them a wry smirk. "You caught me."

"Alright then, follow us." Whimsalot gestured him further down the hall.

"Why not just use the courtyard?" Ryan asked.

"There's a rule here: no unsupervised fights, even between graduates. There was some incident awhile back, monsters getting hurt from pushing themselves too hard or something like that. They wanted to make sure it didn't happen again. But there are a few places that should be out of the way enough." His friend informed him.

Ryan followed the pair until he was sure they must have been at the very back of the barracks when Whimsalot announced, "Any of these should do." He poked his head into one and immediately flew back out. "On second thought, let's not risk it and head back." He said, suddenly looking incredibly nervous.

"Why what's in there?" Ryan asked walking into the room, the Whimsun whimpered in protest behind him as Ryan found that the room was not empty. In the center of the room stood a monster bare to the waist, green scales covering his body. His head extended out in a reptilian muzzle and horns came out of the top of his head. They curled back to end just beneath his eyes which stared intently at the mirror covering the opposite wall. The monster held a halberd before him and breathed as if he had been practicing with it for some time before they had arrived. The monster's eyes flickered to him in the mirror and he knew it was too late to back out without looking suspicious.

The monster's face cracked into a smile and he turned to face Ryan. "Well, well, what do we have here?"

Before Ryan could say anything, Whimsalot flew between them. "H-hey, Karim, sir." He stammered. "We were just showing our friend here around, but we're leaving now. Sorry to bother you." The small monster was already trying to shove him out of the room. Froggit was pulling at his pants as well.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite pair of students." The monster, Karim, said with an arched eyebrow and the two others froze. Karim's gaze went back to Ryan, though he did not address him. "A tour, huh? Are you certain you weren't trying to get into some of your old antics? Say, fighting without permission for example?"

Whimsalot laughed a little too nervously. "What? No, we would never!"

Karim nodded, though Ryan could tell he did not believe it for a second. "You here with Undyne's group?" That question was directed at him.

"Yes, sir." Ryan said respectfully. He wasn't sure what this monster expected as a response, but neither did he know what the monster was capable of. He had an air about him that reminded him too much of Undyne, a hidden intensity, the look of a coiled spring ready to snap out at a moment's notice. Better not to start off on the wrong foot, he thought.

The courtesy seemed to take the monster aback for an instant before his face smoothed over again. "Karim," the monster said, extending a hand. "Just Karim is fine. I'm one of the instructors here along with Undyne."

"Ryan," he said, taking the offered hand in his own. The monster had a grip like iron and he tried not to wince as it caught him of guard. Definitely just like Undyne. Ryan's eye fell on the monster's chest. A large scar took up most of its center. Ryan knew that some injuries could leave scars on monsters even when healed, but that wound must have been bad indeed.

"Well, Ryan, you hold yourself like you know one end of a weapon from another, and I'm going to take a wild guess and say you were about to fight with these two anyway, so why not have a bout with me instead?"

"No, no, sir, really. We were already going." Whimsalot said to the other monster before turning to Ryan and angrily mumbling. "Ryan, don't."

Ryan ignored the monster. He had the feeling that the wrong choice here would have more impact than he expected. He smiled at Karim. "Sure," he said in answer to his offer.

"Excellent!" the warrior exclaimed. He walked over to the wall and put down his halberd to pick up a pair of wooden practice swords. He threw one to Ryan, nearly knocking Whimsalot out of the air in the process. "Why don't you to head back?" Karim said to him and Froggit. "I have the feeling we may be awhile." The two began to protest, but a look from their former instructor silenced them and they left. "So, how did you come to meet those two?" He asked Ryan as they took up positions on the opposite sides of a ring marked off by red stone.

"Oh, I knew them long before they came here." Ryan answered. He held his sword in one hand out in front of him, tip pointed to the ground.

"Were they always such troublemakers?"

"Pretty much."

"And how about you?" Karim took up stance as well. He held his sword in both hands before him. Ryan noted the monster's weapon was longer than the one he himself held and heftier as well.

"I could say I'm not," he told the monster, "but I'd be lying."

The monster smirked. "Then let's agree beforehand to have a good, clean fight, shall we?" He dashed forward without waiting for a response.

 

On the other side of the barracks, Sallie was settling herself into the room she had shown to. She set her bag down next to the bed and plopped herself onto the mattress, happy to be off her feet. The room was plain and sparsely furnished with a bed a single nightstand and a door leading to a small closet. She supposed it was all someone who spend most of their day fighting would need.

"Well that was a hassle and a half," she said to Ruby who was sitting on the foot of the bed. "It's been a few years since I've been out this way, but it's definitely gotten worse."

Ruby nodded in agreement. "I had almost forgotten what it was like. It's a wonder why monsters don't try to leave this place in droves."

"Where would they go?" Ayame asked, appearing in the corner. Neither and seen or heard her come in the door, but they had grown used to her attempts to surprise them. "Snowdin could fit a few," she went on, "but even if we made it into a city like the capital it still wouldn't help very much. Then where else would we go? Waterfall? I couldn't stand to see that place get turned into houses and shopping centers. I don't think anyone who's seen it could let it destroyed like that."

Sallie's lips tightened into a line. "Let's get off that subject," she told them. "It's not our problem to solve anyway."

"Maybe not yours," Ayame clarified and Sallie remembered that she would one day become the king's advisor herself.

"Well, that's still not for a while. Come on, this is supposed to be a vacation! No more sad talk."

"Vacation it may be, but we still have work to get done." Ruby reminded. "There are still some details to be worked out, I think."

"Shouldn't we wait for Alphys and Undyne?" Ayame questioned.

Ruby waved a dismissive hand at the other monster. "Those two will probably end up telling Ryan what we have planned without meaning to anyway. They have the subtly of a neon sign."

Just then, the door to the room opened and Papyrus burst his way inside, followed on his heals by Snowy and MK. "I believe this room is ours." He proclaimed before looking around to see the other monster's already in the room. "Whoopsy…" he whimpered before getting a pillow thrown in his face. The skeleton left the room with his followers just about as fast as he could manage.

"So, back to what I was saying?" Ruby said after a moment.

Sallie sighed, "I suppose you're right. I feel bad though."

"We'll still include them; we just won't tell them everything." Ayame spoke up.

"Just a reminder, if Ryan gets a single whiff of what we're up to he'll walk back to Snowdin without us. Probably trap us here along the way too." Ruby told them.

"He wouldn't go that far." Sallie told them. "He probably wouldn't speak to any of us again, though."

"So, how are we going to do it?" Ruby went on.

"I still say we get him drunk." Sallie maintained.

"Have you ever seen Ryan get drunk before?" Ruby countered.

The rabbit monster shrugged. "I just think he's never had enough incentive."

"I still say we play it by ear for the most part." Ruby added. "If we over think things he'll see right through us."

"He is the least oblivious when you least expect it." Sallie agreed.

"You both are thinking way too narrowly about this." Ayame said. "We're not trying to find something to tie him down, we're trying to find something he'll tie himself to willingly. Well, that thing is right here." She gestured to Sallie. "He wants to be with you, he's made that clear to all of us, but whatever is on his mind is making him think that something is going to keep him from that life. For some reason, he believes that going to meet Asgore will end everything." She paused, looking between them. "Have either of you put any thought into why that might be?" The other two monsters exchanged looks. "There are only two possibilities that I can see: either he thinks he'd have to kill Asgore,"

"Which he would never do." Sallie chimed in.

"Or he's going to give himself up." Ayame finished.

"Hold on, I thought the whole point of him training was so that he wouldn't have to do either." Ruby spoke up. "I thought he was trying to convince the king to try another way?"

Ayame gave a bitter laugh. "Honey, I don't know about you, but I've seen the king. Nothing will convince him of another way. He's gone too far down the path he's on. He'll see it done, no matter what anyone tries and I think Ryan's realized this. He's had you all played for fools. He never intended to try to find another way, he's going to give up his soul to break the barrier and set us all free, because he thinks that's all we really want."

Sallie suddenly remembered something Ryan had said the first day he had returned about giving himself up if all else failed. She nodded her agreement with the Astigmatism. She felt like she was going to be sick.

"So, we have three days." The monster went on. "In that time, we need to convince him that he wants to be with you more than whatever he stands to gain from giving himself up. Because I'm sure he does, he just won't admit it to himself."

"You make that sound like it's easy." Ruby commented.

Ayame shrugged. "Humans are supposed to be selfish by nature, right? How hard can it be? I've made people fall in love before. The hard part's already done, in that sense."

"Alright, Miss Manipulator, what are you thinking?"

Ayame paced the room for a moment before resuming. "Part of the problem lies in the fact that Ryan is convinced that monsters are sick to death of being stuck down here above all else and that freeing us will be like our salvation." Ayame began.

"But we are sick of it down here." Ruby remarked.

"True, but it won't spell the death of us. We're monsters; we make the best out of any situation. At the end of the day, we're content no matter where we are. The first thing we need to do is show him that; that him staying, alive, is not somehow damning us to a life of misery.

"Worst case, we wait until another, not so nice human falls down and we use their soul." The other two monsters nodded, seeing her point. "Then, while the question of, 'well what do I do now?' is buzzing around in Ryan's head, we push Sallie in front of him and the pieces will fall into place in his head on their own. See? Easy."

"But how do we convince him?" Ruby still questioned.

"What, do I have to do everything?" The two monsters looked at her. "I'm kidding." She shrugged. "I don't know, Sallie's idea of bring him to a bar sounded like a good bet. It just needs to be somewhere monsters are having fun. Then we just need to steer a conversation or two in the right direction."

"Do you really think that will work?" Sallie asked.

"Well, my track record with this group isn't the best, so if you want to go against that…" she let the statement hang. "Either way, I've said my piece. If you've got anything else to add, let's hear it." Neither spoke up. "So are we in agreement then?"

Ayame looked between the two. Sallie and Ruby looked at each other. They all nodded at the same time. It was decided.

A thought occurred to Sallie and she started to laugh. "What?" Ruby asked.

"Don't you find it weird?" She said. "Not long ago we were all at each other's throats and now I practically consider you sisters."

The other two looked to each other. "I think you've been spending too much time around humans." Ayame said.

"Yeah, that's just how monsters are." Ruby said.

"I guess you're right." Sallie admitted.

"Now, _I_ had thought you were about to have another one of your 'I'm becoming my mom' crises." Ruby added.

"Oh, do not go there." Sallie warned.

The door to the room opened again to admit Alphys. She poked her head in slowly before entering. She was alone. "There you are," Sallie said by way of greeting. "Where's Undyne?"

"She got roped into work." Alphys told them. "She said she'd be done soon." She seemed to hesitate for a moment. "Hey, Ayame?"

The Astigmatism blinked at the doctor. "Yeah?"

Alphys fished into her jacket and pulled out a letter, now slightly crumpled. She held it out to the monster. "Someone gave me this while we were out." She explained. "It's addressed to you."

Ayame took the letter from her. Sallie went over to her to get a better look. It was sealed with red wax pressed with the delta rune with a single eye beneath it. "It's from my dad." She said, not at all sounding happy.

"How does he know you're here?" Sallie asked.

"My dad knows everything that goes on in this city." She said, breaking the seal with a claw. She unfolded the paper. It simply said,

_Come see me. We need to talk._

"'We,' yeah right. More like he talks at me until I nod my head and say 'yes father.'" She began to crumple the paper. "He can kiss my-"

"Wait," Sallie interrupted, snatching the paper from the monster's hands. "Why does he want to talk to you?"

"Probably because I ran away from home." She said bluntly.

"Wait, you weren't lying about running away from home?" Ruby blinked.

"No." Ayame said flatly. "Most likely he wants to lecture me about abandoning me duty and then make sure I never leave the castle again."

"He can't do that." Rudy said.

"Welcome to my life. He can, he has, he will, which is why I'm not going." Ayame tried to steal the note back, but Sallie kept it out of reach.

"Hold on, you have to talk to him." She said.

"Why?" Ayame argued. "You don't know what my father's like."

"I don't, but this is not something that you should leave like this. Tell him that he can't just drag you back. Tell him that you're where you want to be and there's nothing he can do about it."

"Even if _I_ believed that, what makes you think saying that to him will help and not just make him angry? For that matter, why do you care?"

"Snowy has similar issues with his father." Ruby mumbled to her. "This is kind of a touchy issue with her."

"Exactly, I've already had to see one family fall apart, I'm not going to let another one go right under my nose."

Ayame gave another bitter laugh. "My family was never together to begin with." She stated bitterly. "Trust me, it will be better if I just ignore him. He'll get the message eventually."

"Umm… I should probably add," Alphys spoke up. "The monster who gave me the letter said that if you didn't answer that they would come find you. It was really scary, Undyne wasn't there at the moment and-"

"You add that part now!" Ayame snapped.

"Sorry…" The doctor squeaked.

Sallie put a hand on the Astigmatism to calm her down. "See, you need to go."

"I need to leave, that's what I need to do. You guys can do this without me; I'm going back to Snowdin before he catches me."

The monster was halfway to the door before they caught her. "No!" Ruby exclaimed. "What if he follows you back? He'd only have to be in Snowdin two seconds before someone blabs about Ryan. That the only reason he's been safe up until now, because there's no traffic between the two places anymore."

Sallie could hear Ayame grinding her teeth. "Ruby's right. It puts us all in jeopardy and puts you even more at risk."

"So I just get thrown into the storm on my own, is that it?" Ayame argued.

"No, I'll go with you." Sallie assured her.

Ayame shook her head. "No you can't. What about the plan?"

"We have three days." She reminded the monster. "And this is just as important, if not more so. I'm not going to abandon any of my friends, and I'm not going to let them make bad decisions either."

Ayame lowered her head. "Thank you, Sallie, but I still don't think it's a good idea…"

"Good idea or not, it's still something you have to do. And if he tries to keep you from leaving, then we'll just get Undyne or Ryan to bust you out and bust your father up."

Ayame giggled. "That's an even worse idea, but I like it." They all laughed.

 

"I believe _this_ room is ours." Papyrus proclaimed opening the door to a room further down the hall. Snowy and MK followed in behind him once more. This room was, at the very least, empty. Three beds, each occupying the space in front of a wall, made up most of the room. Papyrus put their bags in the center. MK hopped onto one of the beds and began jumping like his life depended on it. "This will work for a few days." The skeleton said absently.

Snowy looked at one of the other beds. He figured he could make it work for him. He had never tried sleeping in a place that warm before, but he wanted to see if he could tolerate it.

"Anything you two need before we go join the others?" Papyrus asked them.

"Yeah, you forgot a bag." MK said, still jumping and flipping on the bed.

Snowy looked at the pile of bags on the ground. They were definitely not missing one. He kept silent, however.

Papyrus looked down at the bags himself. "I did?"

"Yeah, I think you left it by the entrance." MK suggested.

The skeleton continued to stare at the pile of their things blankly. "But we have three bags…"

"Yeah, we _had_ four, remember? You packed an extra."

"I did?"

"Yes! Right, Snowy?"

Snowy nodded, curious to see where he was going with this.

"Oh, I see… I'll be right back then, I guess." The skeleton left the room. MK stopped bouncing.

"Alright, he's gone. So, what was that about?" Snowy asked.

MK jumped to the ground and landed next to him. "We're in the Royal Guard's training hall!" he exclaimed like that explained everything.

"Yes, you figured it out. Good." The drake half-mocked. "So?"

"So, doesn't it make you want to train?"

Snowy looked around the room for a moment. "No, not really." He said.

"Yo, what?"

"I'm tired." Snowy told him. "We've been walking around all day. My plan is to eat and then pass out."

The other monster looked ready to vibrate through the floor. "Come on, let's go fight!"

"No." The drake maintained. "You're crazy and you're going to kill yourself if you don't learn to calm down."

Snowy could see his words made little to no impression on the other monster. His eyes narrowed and his smile did not lessen. "You've been afraid to fight me ever since I got bone magic down." He goaded.

The drake rolled his eyes. "I am not afraid, you just keep asking at the worst times, like now."

MK stepped closer to the other monster. "I thought you were a Snowdrake, not a chicken." He teased.

"You don't even know what that is," Snowy reminded him. "You just heard Ryan say it at one point."

"I know it means you're a coward."

The drake let out a low growl. "I am not! Listen, we'll fight tomorrow if you're so eager."

"No we won't," MK said. "We're going to be out in the city all day and you know it. Just admit it; you're afraid of me now."

Snowy ground his teeth. "Fine!" he shouted. "You want to fight so bad, let's fight!"

"Sweet!" MK exclaimed before they both bolted out of the room.

The door opened to admit Papyrus once more a few minutes later. "Well, there was no bag; I hope it wasn't stolen…" The skeleton looked around empty the room. He eyed the bags on the ground and knew he had not picked the wrong one again. He scratched his head with his gloved hand. "Perhaps I _am_ bad at this babysitting thing…" he said to himself.

 

Ryan and Karim spilt apart once more to circle each other at the edge of the ring. The monster was breathing heavy from the exertion and he looked thrilled by the fact. Ryan was breathing heavy as well, figuring his determination would only rouse suspicion, he let it lie.

"When Undyne was here last, she mentioned something about a private student she had been teaching in Snowdin." Karim asked during the lull, seeming to relax slightly. "Would that happen to be you?"

"It would." Ryan did not let his guard down. In the short time they had fought so far, Ryan had learned that this Karim was just as skilled and unpredictable as Undyne. He was also much more strategic. "How did you know?" Ryan asked to try to keep him talking.

"You fight like someone who's trained here yourself." He explained. "Plus, you have the telltale signs of someone who has received extra attention from the captain: defensive, a very reactive fighting style. It's good, and it works, but it's not particularly impressive. I was hoping someone who had caught Undyne's attention so strongly would have a bit more to show for it."

The monster was goading him. It was obvious, and with it, Ryan found his opening. He smirked and struck at the monster from the side. Karim blocked with one hand on the flat back of the sword. The monster smirked himself. "Some other common traits of Undyne's pupils:" he said, "impulsive, easy to anger, and very predictable."

Ryan felt Karim push against his sword, but it did not budge. The monster's expression became one of surprise. Ryan's smile grew; he figured it was a good time to stop holding back just a little. He felt the monster push against the sword again, and when he did, Ryan pushed back. The wound bundle of reeds in Karim's hands began to bend. They bent until the practice sword snapped in two, splinters flying through the air in all directions. Ryan spun out of the way while the monster's momentum carried him to the floor. Before he could flip and get back to his feet, Ryan held the sword to the back of his neck. The monster looked up at him out of the corner of his eye in shock. Ryan held the top half of the broken sword in his other hand. Karim sighed with a resigned smile. "I yield." He said.

Ryan pulled the sword away from the monster and helped him to his feet. "That's some strength you got there." He commented, eyeing the broken sword half in his hand.

Ryan looked at it as if he just realized it was there. "I'll pay for that, if it makes any difference." he said, embarrassed.

Karim chuckled to himself. "It's fine, I guess I should have expected nothing less from a human."

Ryan felt his blood freeze. He dropped the sword in his hand and readied to summon his own in an instant. A raised hand from the monster stopped him short. "Relax," he said, sounding amused. "I won't tell anyone. It's the least I could do for the fight you just gave me."

Ryan did relax, pulling his hand away from his back. That had been close, a second's hesitation from the monster and he would have…

_Done what?_ He thought to himself. _Were you planning on just going around and killing any monster who suspected you were human?_ The thought almost shocked him as much as the act, along with the realization that he had almost done just that. He pushed the thought away. Of course he would never do something like that. _But you almost did._

Ryan realized next that he was holding on to the full power of his determination, ready to unleash it at the monster still at a moment's notice. He undid whatever spell he had almost created and let his power go.

"What makes you think I'm human?" Ryan asked, still trying to recover.

Karim chuckled to himself again. "I've seen enough humans to know you for one right when I first saw you. Or at least, I had my suspicions in the beginning."

There was more to that story than the monster was telling him, but he let it lie. "If so, then why fight me?" he asked instead.

"Personal reasons." He answered curtly before slapping him on the shoulder. "You're alright in my book, Ryan. I think I get what Undyne sees in you." The monster began to collect his things and leave.

"That's it?" Ryan asked. "No questions about why I'm here or what I'm doing?"

"You're taking a vacation." Karim answered. "At least that's what Undyne told me. Beyond that, I don't really care. I've learned to stay out of other people's business; I've plenty of my own to worry about." The monster paused and looked him up and down. "Besides, you seem to have good intentions. Feel free to find me whenever you have some free time. I'm always looking for a challenge."

The monster left the room without waiting for an answer. Ryan stood in the center of the room in his confusion. He sighed, "Monsters are weird." He picked up the halves of the sword at his feet and put the unbroken on back in its place on the rack. Not seeing anywhere he could throw it out, Ryan quickly incinerated the broken reeds before deciding in was time to find Whimsalot and Froggit and head back.

He had discovered he had a lot to think about.

 

"This will work." MK said as he pulled his head out of the doorway and turned back to Snowy.

"The last six would have as well." The drake complained. "Can we just get this over with?"

"We have to be far enough that nobody can hear us." The other monster explained. "Now let's go."

MK ran into the room. Snowy stayed for a moment longer, slightly stunned. He actually had not thought of that.

Snowy walked into a room much like the others they had considered in passing. MK was already standing in the circle marked off by red stone. He bounced up and down excitedly, tilting his head from side to side in a show of loosening up. Snowy continued looking around the room. It was the same size as all the others; the only real difference was that there were no mirrors and no weapons along the walls.

As soon as he stepped into the ring, MK's bouncing ceased. He slid a foot back and took up a ready stance. "Ready?" He asked his opponent.

"No," Snowy told him frankly. The drake did nothing to prepare for what he knew would come next.

"Well, too bad!" MK exclaimed. There was a flash of blue as a bone appeared in the air before the monster and he took it in his mouth. One end of it was sharpened to a point; Snowy barely blinked at it. The air in the room grew cold.

The lizard dashed to side, circling the edge of the ring until he was nearly to Snowy's back then he cut in towards him. Snowy did not even turn. A wall of ice blocked him off from the other monster and the weapon held in the lizard monster's teeth bounced off of it harmlessly.

As Snowy readied to lower the wall and readied to defend against what the other monster would do next, a light breeze told him something was off. He looked down at the ground. A swirl of blue light circled his feet. He jumped, flapping his wings to gain extra height that proved needed as giant bone sprung from where he had just been standing. It erupted half way to the ceiling before it went still and Snowy floated down to perch from it.

"Drat, I almost had you with that one!" MK exclaimed through the bone he still held in his teeth.

"Keep telling yourself that." Snowy called down to him. The drake spread his wings and shot them downward. A line of ice grew up from the floor to each side of the pillar where he stood and raced towards MK. He jumped back as they crossed, but the lines kept going, doubling back to have a second go at the monster.

In a panic, the young lizard summoned another bone to defend him. The ice attack collided with the bone wide enough for the monster to hide behind and cascaded harmlessly to the side.

"And that makes three." Snowy said more to himself than to the other monster, though he made sure he heard. MK had just enough time to turn and look up at the drake before Snowy dove down towards him. A spike of ice flew ahead of the monster and knocked the bone from MK's mouth. MK used the pillar to jump up and over the drake before he got too close. Snowy did not fear a counter attack, however. The monster was at his limit. The magic he wielded was still new to him and drained him quickly. He knew from enough times chasing around Ryan and Undyne that he could only manage as many as three. He had him by the ropes now.

Snowy spun and kicked off of the pillar as well, bolting towards the other monster as he once again came in contact with the ground. MK was able to dodge fast enough to escape the monsters grasp but not the spell that came with it. Everything between Snowy and MK became a solid wall of ice that grew closer to the monster with every passing second. But it did not end there; the air continued to swirl around and past the monster, skirting the floor and climbing up the walls to the ceiling. When the currents were set, Snowy froze them as well and the room became a cage of ice centered on MK. The monster was trapped within a frozen bubble in the center of the ring that grew thicker with each passing second.

"Satisfied?" Snowy asked loud enough that the other monster should have heard him.

He pressed the side of his head to the ice to try to listen for a response. He could hear nothing, not even struggling. He pulled his head away and saw that MK's form was not even moving within. Had he messed up? Did he get the positioning of his spell wrong and accidently freeze him?

As the drake considered this, he was nearly speared through the eye as another bone broke through the outside of the bubble. Luckily, he was able to react fast enough to not get hurt, but he still fell onto his back. All of the ice in the room disintegrated as a result of his shock. And Snowy was greeted by MK staring down at him with a sly grin on his face. The bone he had used to breach his prison looked to be attached to where the monster's shoulder would have been if he had one. Blue energy swirled around the spot on his shirt.

"Undyne's rule number one:" he said with a cocky swagger as all of the bones in the room disintegrated as well. "Always have a trick up you sleeve."

"You don't have sleeves," Snowy reminded him. "On top of that, you nearly killed me!"

"Oops…" His smile turned to one of embarrassment. "Distance was hard to judge in there. Plus, I didn't really think it would work. Sorry."

"Just what are you two doing?" Undyne's voice came from the doorway. The two monsters turned to see the Royal Guard Captain leaning against the door frame with a hand on her hip looking very much like she already knew the answer to her question. "Where's Papyrus? You two didn't lock him in a closet again, did you?"

MK tried to play it off despite the obviousness of their situation. "We got lost." He explained. "This place was so big that Snowy started to lose it so I had to calm him down."

"What?" Snowy snapped at the other monster, unable to play along with that lie.

Undyne did not buy it anyway. "Look," she said stepping into the room. "I'll let you off with a warning this time because I had yet to spell out the rules, but I will not let you off the hook again. There is no fighting unless I'm here. That is the biggest rule of all here, got it?"

"Yes sir." They both said.

More voices came from down the hall before Undyne could continue to lecture the two of them. "I hope Ryan's alright with-" Snowy recognized it as Whimsalot.

"And just why would Ryan not be alright?" Undyne interrupted as she stuck her head back into the hall. Snowy and MK followed suit and found both Whimsalot and Froggit looking like they had just been caught trespassing. Snowy supposed they had, in a way.

"Yeah, why would I not be alright?" Ryan himself questioned as he came around another corner. Whimsalot flew to him like he was his savior.

"The food, remember!" He said quickly. "When we showed you the mess and you looked really disappointed by the food."

"Oh yeah, I could do way better." Ryan agreed without missing a beat. Snowy would have even said that they were not lying if he did not know better. However, the act seemed to convince Undyne.

"Well, deal with it. The cook doesn't let anyone else touch anything here. If not, there are plenty of restaurants around."

"True, but none will compare to Grillby's." Ryan countered.

"Hey, it's too early to get home sick; we just got here." Undyne walked up to Ryan and tossed an arm around his shoulders. "Come on, let's go grab the others and then grab a bite. I got a few spots in mind already." The monster began to shove Ryan down the hall with her and the others quickly fell into step behind them. The four all exchanged looks of understanding that they had all narrowly escaped Undyne's wrath and then sighs of relief. They, at least, would live to see another day.

 

Shortly after, the group had all gotten back together and, after the better part of an hour deciding where they wanted to eat, headed back out into the city. Night had fallen, but the streets seemed just as busy and as they made their way through the crowds.

The place they chose was not full, but it was definitely crowded and it would take a moment to find them a table. All the while, Ryan's mind kept drifting back to the fight with Karim and what happened after. He would have done it, he knew. He would have killed him without even a thought before it was done.

As he and his friends gathered in the entrance of the restaurant, Ryan looked down at his hand. Was that what his strength was turning him into? Would he go to such lengths if anything got in his way?

A flick to his temple brought him back to the present. "Hey," Sallie said to further get his attention. "What did I say about being mopey?"

"That it's an emotion that I have no control over and that you're silly for thinking otherwise." He answered, which earned him a jab to the ribs.

"No moping!" She enforced. "This is a vacation. No stress, no problems, just spending time with friends, okay?"

"That's easy for you to say." He reminded her.

Sallie reached up and grabbed his head, turning it so he was looking further into the restaurant. "What do you see?" She asked him.

There were several groups of monsters filling the tables visible from where they stood. He did not quite get what was being asked of him. "Monsters?" he said simply.

"Exactly." Sallie went on. "And look, none of them care that you're here! It's impossible! No, it's obvious, to everyone but you." She pulled his head back around to her. "Stop freaking out about this. If something happens, worry about it then, but not before. There's no point to that."

Ryan still was not convinced the monster was right, but bringing that up was only hurting Sallie more, so he decided to put it to rest. "Alright," he said. "No more moping."

The monster smiled up at him. "Thank you."

"Table for eleven?" One of the workers said loudly.

"Right here!" Undyne answered, raising her hand.

As they were led to their table, Ryan tried to push his worries aside and enjoy himself. It worked for the most part. He was able to tell himself that if anything happened he would deal with it then, but a different thought nagged him now. What if what he did went too far?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter song: Traveller by Melano
> 
> Interesting things are happening, if I do say so myself.  
> In addition, though I don't really know the best way do to this on this site, with this chapter I'd like to propose a question.   
> The question is: Would you like another little side adventure like the one with Ayame, MK and Snowy during this next part, or would you prefer I just get on with it? Note: This bit won't necessarily progress the story at all, but I think it would be a fun addition.  
> To be clear, this is not me locking content behind a feedback wall like some do. I'll be putting up the bit regardless of the outcome. This is just to decide whether to include it in the main story or as an extra similar to While He's Gone.  
> With that said, my classes are over for a month and I have a lot to do.  
> Until next time, have a good one folks.


	30. City Lights

"No one was staring at you last night." Sallie told Ryan for the eighth time since they started getting ready. She turned to see him still sitting on the bed half-dressed and bit back a groan. "It was all in your head, you paranoid goof. Now hurry up, because you are _not_ staying here all day."

"I still think this is a bad idea." He argued. Despite his protests, he tossed on a shirt and ran a hand threw his hair in an effort to fix it.

Sallie finished straightening out her own clothes before continuing to deal with his stoicism. She still felt that her usual attire was far too informal to visit the castle with, but Ayame had told her not to worry. "I don't care," she said in response to his statement. "You are going to have fun and enjoy yourself while you're here, and nothing is going to happen."

Sallie walked over to him and began undoing the buttons he had just finished on the shirt he had thrown on over his t-shirt while she was not looking. The man had no sense of style. He was spending the day in the city, not attending a funeral. If he was going to insist on wearing that black thing everywhere, he could at least show some color elsewhere. She threw the halves of the shirt open as a gesture that told him to keep it like that. "I was referring to what you were doing that time." He explained, effectively ignoring her mothering. "Ayame seemed almost hysterically against it."

"I'll worry about that." She told him. Ryan made move to continue get ready, but Sallie stopped him with a finger to the ribs. "You _are_ going to have fun today, do you hear me?"

He grinned down at her, but there was no pleasure in it. "I'm sure I must have told you at some point how much I hate it when people tell me to have fun or be happy, like they somehow have better idea than I do about what _I_ find fun or what _I_ know make me happy."

She frowned back at him. "You know what I meant." She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him tightly. "Just promise me you'll try."

"Of course I'll try." He told her, returning the hug. "I'm just prepared for the worst, is all."

"I know," Sallie said softly into his chest. "That's what I hate."

 

"Is this really necessary?" Ayame asked as she and Sallie stepped out of the tunnel that held the elevator – a tram, Ryan had called it as he explained to the surface equivalent. It was still just another elevator to her – and into the street next to the castle's main entrance. "I feel like a toddler…" she complained.

Sallie held the other monster in front of her by the shoulders as she led them into the courtyard just inside the castle walls. "This is the only way I can know for sure that you won't try to get away." Sallie explained to her. She was not going to risk the monster tricking her into thinking she was standing next to her only to get into the castle and find her gone.

"We've already gone this far, I don't see the point in trying to get out of it now…" She protested.

"Now, why don't I believe that for a second?" Her rhetoric made the Astigmatism groan.

The crowd around them dropped almost to zero as they entered the flora filled courtyards that surrounded the castle. It was almost eerie. A few monsters were still about, walking down a path through flowering trees, sitting on benches and talking, or running around playing. Most kept to themselves and paid the two of them no mind.

Ayame moaned and complained about anything and everything all the way to the foot of the steps that lead into the castle proper where she suddenly went quiet. The change made Sallie pause. She saw that the monster was looking up at the large arch that shadowed over the top of the stairs. From where they stood, the interior seemed to be blocked off by darkness. It made Sallie swallow. "Come on," she said once she worked up the courage to move on. "We can't stand here all day if we still want to meet up with everyone at some point." Ayame said nothing as the other monster pushed her up the stairs. She offered no resistance either.

Once they were inside, the shadows vanished. The entrance way was brightly lit by a menagerie candles that hung from sconces high on the walls and from great crystal chandeliers that refracted the light from tall widows and scattered it about the room in a rainbow of colors. The floor was covered by red rug that ran down the length of the hall, away from the rounded wall of the entrance at their backs and up the stairs at the other end where it split in two directions as it went further into the castle. Golden flowers were placed everywhere in pots of all shapes and sizes. Petals from them were scattered about the floor was well, as if no one ever came by to clean them up.

"You live here?" Sallie breathed as she took it all in.

"It's not all as ornate as this." Ayame told her.

"So, where's you dad?" Sallie asked once she recovered.

"Not far," she said as she began to lead the way. The two passed by several branching hallways and made their way to the stairs at the back of the foyer where they walked up and to the left and then turn down another hallway that looked like all the others. "The castle is more or less divided into three parts." Ayame started to say. "The lower floors are for public affairs, the middle section is where most of the officials make their homes, and is where I've lived most of my life."

"And the upper part?" Sallie inquired.

"That's where the king lives, and the barrier is up there, of course, right behind the throne room." She paused to look up at the other monster. "Don't you think that's weird?"

Sallie blinked at the question. "No, why?"

Ayame shook her head as she resumed her pace. "Never mind," she said quietly. They stopped in front of a door and the monster spoke once more. "We can still leave," she said hopefully. Sallie gave her a look that said no and Ayame sighed. "Fine, it was nice knowing you." She opened the door.

The room beyond was a highly decorated sitting room. Thick, padded armchairs sat around a large, polished wooden table in front of widows that overlooked the courtyards below. The walls were painted white and covered in a pattern of green vines with little red blossoms scattered over them. They were so detailed that Sallie actually thought they were real for a moment. The molding around the windows and around the ceiling was gilded. Ayame strutted into the room like she owned the place – Sallie supposed she might.

Another Astigmatism stood by the windows. He jumped as the two newcomers entered and nearly dropped the feather duster he held in his hand before he came running over to them. Ayame did not stop or even look at him. "My Lady," he began, sounding nervous. His words came out in a rush as he realized she was not stopping. "It is good have you back at last, I-"

"Is my father here?" Ayame interrupted. She kept walking towards a set of double doors on the other side of the room. They were carved with the same crest that had been on the letter, and Sallie knew enough about design to know that the imposing sense they portrayed was every bit intended. Just what kind of monster was Ayame's father?

The other Astigmatism swallowed before answering. "Yes, My Lady. Would you like me to tell him you're here?"

"I can do that just fine on my own, thank you." She told him.

The monster tried to step in front of her. "I really must insist. Your father told me-" but it had little effect.

"That will be all." Ayame interrupted once more as she pushed past the monster. They stood before the doors now, towering over both of them.

The Astigmatism bowed after a moment's hesitation. "Yes, My Lady." He turned and exited the room, looking over his shoulder more than once as if hoping she would change her mind.

"What's with all that 'My Lady' stuff?" Sallie asked once he was gone.

"I think I told him at one point that if he didn't call me that I would get him fired. I don't really remember; it was years ago. I had gotten used to it."

"No doubt…" Sallie commented.

"Remember," Ayame said as she put a hand to the door. "I warned you."

The door swung open to admit the two monsters into the spacious office beyond. The room was just as large, if not larger, than the sitting room. Near where they came in there was a long oval table to either side of the doors with several tall chairs around each. More chairs surrounded a large desk made of a dark wood on the other side of the room.

Behind the desk sat yet another Astigmatism. He was writing something on a piece of paper in front of him, but he looked up when he heard the door open. As he took in Ayame and Sallie his expression split into a wide grin that was not at all unfriendly. "Ah, there you are Ayame," he said as he stood up from the desk and started to walk over to them. "I was beginning to think my message never made it. I pale to think what might have happened if some other monster happened to think that letter was for them. It probably would have scared them half to death." The monster let out a chuckle. He spoke with the lightness of one who seemed to be in a perpetually good mood, not at all like what Sallie was expecting and what Ayame led her to believe.

He did, however, give Sallie a skeptical look as he walked up to them. "And who is this?" he asked, the question clearly meant for Ayame.

"A friend." She answered coldly.

The other Astigmatism continued to look her up and down. "A friend?" he echoed questioningly. "Indeed…" The monster held out his hand to Sallie, all smiles once more. "Councilman Hiroshi," he introduced formally, "Ayame's father and advisor to His Majesty, King Asgore."

"Sallie," Sallie said in turn. "Just Sallie is fine."

"And what can I do for you today, Sallie?"

"It's more what you can do for Ayame actually." She told the councilman. He looked like he had been half expecting her to say something like that.

"Oh?" The monster said anyway as he turned his attention back to his daughter.

Ayame took a breath. She did not look at her father, instead staring straight ahead at the back of the room. "I'm not coming back." She said in a rush as if she needed to get the words over with.

The other monster snickered as if she had told a joke. "But, sweetie, you are already here."

"You know what I mean, father."

"No, Ayame, frankly I do not." Her father maintained, all humor gone from his voice. "This is hardly the first time you've run away, and you've said as much every time I've found you hiding out in once place or another. But this is the first time you have said it when you have already returned. So, please forgive my confusion." The monster's tone was entirely that of a father dealing with a misbehaving child and Sallie could tell it was aggravating Ayame. Heck, it was aggravating her too, but she couldn't help but admit it was justified.

Hiroshi went back to sit at his desk before going on. "First of all, I'd like you to explain where it is you have been. I looked over every inch of the city twice trying to find you where were you hiding only to have pop up in the middle of the main avenue."

"I wasn't in the city, father, I left." Ayame explained.

Her father laughed dismissively at the thought. "Come now, Ayame. You've come up with better stories than that before. But now you're hardly making any sense. Maybe now you're finally starting to see how juvenile this pointless rebellion against me is. Either way, I'm happy you're back. Perhaps tomorrow you'll be more willing to tell me what actually happened." The monster was already back to writing. They might as well have not been in the room anymore.

"Dad!" Ayame shouted to get his attention. The other Astigmatism looked up as if surprised she had talked again. He put down his pen and took up the look of a patient father once more. Sallie wanted to slap that look off of his face. "I'm not staying." Ayame told him. "I actually did leave the city this time, and what I found out there I won't give up, not ever."

"You'll have to forgive me if I don't believe you sweetie. I've heard as much before as well. And in a few months' time you'll be back in this office complaining about boredom again. Now please, I am very busy."

"I won't be here to complain in three months." Ayame maintained. "I'm leaving in three days, and if I never see this city again it will be too soon."

"That is enough, Ayame!" The other monster snapped. Clearly, his patience had run out. "I will have no more of this from you. Now, got to your room. We will discuss this further tomorrow if you are willing to be sensible by then."

Ayame's head dropped, and Sallie's anger boiled over. "Excuse me sir, but you can't do that." She told him.

"Sallie," Ayame said through her teeth.

"You can't just dismiss what Ayame has to say and send her to her room. First of all she's an adult,"

"Sallie," Ayame said again, louder that time.

"Second of all she's not lying. She's been living in Snowdin with me and the rest of our friends and has expressed no interest in coming back that I am aware of. So if she wants to stay there she can."

"Sallie, stop!" Ayame shouted and the rabbit turned to her friend who she now saw was crying. "You're not helping." She told her.

Her father did not seem to notice. His eyes were locked on Sallie once more with that skeptical look he had given her in the beginning. "Ayame, would you please wait outside?" He asked levelly.

"But…"

"Please, Ayame."

Ayame looked like she was going to say more, but dropped her head. She gave one more glance to Sallie before turning and going out the door.

"How long have you known my daughter, Sallie?" Hiroshi asked once the door was closed. He stood up to look out the windows that made up most of one wall of the room.

"A couple of months now," she told him honestly.

"Then I suppose you have yet to realize what kind of person she is." The monster held his hands behind his back as he looked down into the courtyard beneath his office. "She is very self-centered and highly manipulative." He went on. "You are not the first monster she has brought to this office claiming to be her 'friend' and you will likely not be the last, so I will tell you what I tell all the others." The councilman turned to her and said flatly, "You mean nothing to her. You are a means to an end in her eyes and always have been. I am sorry you had to hear that from me, but it is the truth. I've tried my best to humor her in the past but it does not help anyone, least of all her. This is the best way of dealing with her antics until she can come to her senses and give up this game of hers."

Sallie shook her head defiantly. "You're wrong. Believe me, I know full well what Ayame can be like, but she's changed. When she first came to Snowdin, she-"

"You can stop there." The other monster interrupted. "You are not the first monster to say that either. I know how convincing she can be, so I don't blame you for getting caught up like this. But please, know what I am saying to be true, go home, and forget you ever met my daughter. It will be easier in the long run."

Sallie's anger only rose. "Ayame _is_ my friend," she maintained. "We came to the city together and we're leaving together. And whether or not you believe that, you still have no right to try to force her into staying here!"

"I am not forcing her to do anything," he explained. "I am merely voicing the inevitable. I know it and she knows it." The monster sighed. "I see that my words won't be enough to convince you, fine. You said you were leaving in three days? Then I will give you that. Hopefully by then you will see that I am right and Ayame can return home, but I will hear no more about this today. I have far too much work to get done."

The Astigmatism turned away from the widow and sat back at his desk. To him, Sallie was already gone.

She was about to say more, but snapped her mouth shut and stormed out of the room. Ayame was waiting just on the other side of the door. She had to run to keep up with Sallie as she marched past her. "I cannot believe him!" Sallie exclaimed once they were out in the hall.

"I told you," Ayame said flatly. "This was all useless."

"Oh, no it was not." Sallie said as she grabbed the other monster by the arm and began dragging her back out of the castle. "We're going to figure out a way to prove him wrong."

Ayame looked up at her friend, her confidence in the matter surprised her. She knew she would try everything possible to try to help her, even though it was useless. Despite herself, Ayame smiled.

 

"I can't believe they have that!" Alphys exclaimed as she and Undyne pressed their faces to the glass of store that looked to Ryan to sell mainly anything and everything that looked like it may have come from the human world. They had passed several stores such as this one and had stopped at all of them for either Alphys or Undyne or both to goggle at the inventory of, and this one was no different. Ryan looked up at the sign above the window. It said "Trash and Treasure" in big red letters. The others had been about as equally clever. The two monsters were looking at what Ryan knew to be a Gundam model displayed in the widow of the store, though it was missing half and arm and looked like whoever had put it together had no idea or care for how to properly build models. Ryan was already holding more than one bag full of similar items.

"Let's go inside." The doctor announced before heading in, Undyne on her heels. The rest of their group was waiting a little ways back in the street. They gathered close as the city's residents meandered around them. The smaller monsters stuck closer than the others. Papyrus stood to Ryan's right with more bags in his arms than he had himself. Ruby stood opposite and seemed to be elsewhere at the moment. Ryan caught her glancing at the castle every now and then, likely worried about her friends.

There were in some part of the old city still – Ryan knew that much at least. They had left the barracks and seemed to aimlessly wander through the streets for a short while until deciding to begin their shopping excursion on one that seemed little different than the rest to him. Ryan had given up trying to keep track of the path they took after a few minutes. Off of the main avenue, which ran directly down the city's center, the streets had little pattern to them. They ran at all angles, sometimes meeting with as many as seven others at intersections. Ryan was glad they had not somehow figured out how to reverse engineer cars, or else the city would be a nightmare to navigate. As it was, he already felt as though he was getting used to the bustle of New Home. He was even beginning to lower his guard a little. Sallie had been right, none of the monsters even paid attention to them. A few sometimes glanced their way a little longer than most but, as he learned that it seemed like every monster in the area knew one another, that was likely just because they did not recognize their group. He was surprised by how comfortable he felt. It was a feeling that seemed to pervade the whole street. None of the monsters seemed to care about being in such close proximity to so many others. He wondered if claustrophobia was even something monsters could suffer from. Not at all like he had expected.

"Holy crap, how many more times are we going to do this?" Whimsalot moaned as he flew over to Ryan's shoulder, the other was occupied by Snowy. They had originally intended to only shop around for about an hour, so there was still some desire to do so once Sallie and Ayame met up with them, but that plan was effectively derailed by that point. "Can't we go someplace more interesting? This is all just junk!"

"To you," Ryan pointed out. "Besides, it's their money. Who are we to stop them?"

"I say we ditch 'em." The tiny monster suggested.

"No," Froggit said at Ryan's feet. Both he and MK had stuck close to him as to not get lost in the crowd, though MK's attention span still got him lost twice already, and Snowy had to fly off and find him. "We agreed to stick together, ribbit."

Whimsalot rolled his eyes and came closer to Ryan's ear. "While we were training here, I heard rumor that there's a big cave system in the rock above us." He said in a buzzing whisper. "Dug out hundreds of years ago by avian monsters like our friend here." He gestured to Snowy. "Apparently they abandoned it before building a new one down here because it was too close to the barrier and all sorts of weird stuff was going on. No one's been there for centuries now. Doesn't that sound cool?"

"The last time we tried looking for it, we were almost kicked out of training and sent back to the ruins, likely without all of our limbs, ribbit." Froggit reminded him, easily able to hear the monster's whispers over the background noise of the city.

"Yeah, but this time we have a master of illusion magic to help us out, right Ryan?" The small monster jabbed him in the shoulder with his elbow.

His friend would not be convinced. "We promised to stay together until Sallie and Ayame got back, so that is what we are going to do, ribbit."

Whimsalot threw his hands into the air. "Fine, we wait until they get back and we bring them with us. Sallie likes to go exploring, right? And with Ayame that's two illusion users. We'll totally be able to get up there."

"And them, ribbit?" Froggit gestured to the store. "Our captain would likely have more than one objection to what you're suggesting, as well as punishment as surely as if we had already tried getting there, ribbit."

The other monster waved at him dismissively. "Then we leave them," he suggested. "They'll be fine on their own for a while. In fact, I think those two could use some time to themselves, don't you?"

"Too late, ribbit." Froggit announced.

Undyne and Ayame were already walking out of the store, both looked more than frustrated. "Not for Sale!" Undyne exclaimed. "Why even put it in the widow then? And then he has the nerve to try to push that crap on us!"

"Told you it was crap…" Whimsalot mumbled. Ryan and Froggit both shushed him.

"I didn't have that one yet either…" Alphys said, she sounded more that disappointed. Undyne put a hand on her back and looked up at the ceiling.

"It's almost time to meet up with the other two." She announced. Even without a virtual sun in the fake sky above them, the monster could still accurately tell the time of day by its color. Ryan looked at his phone, it was almost noon. They had agreed to wait in the park at the city center until they got back at that time. Ryan looked over his shoulder at the castle. It was over a mile away from them in this part of the city and yet still it seemed to loom over all of it. Ryan hoped those two were alright and that they didn't run into any trouble.

Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw someone pointing at him. When he looked, he saw two monsters quickly glance away from him. They were smiling, yet they looked nervous. One was looked like a miniature volcano and the other reminded him of the friend that had been with Ruby in Hotland. They both looked to be children and they were not the first to look at him like that. Unlike the others though, they began to walk up to him. Ryan looked around him. The others were already heading back to the barracks to drop off their purchases and were almost swallowed up by the crowd behind him. The two monsters were before him before he could decide whether or not to shove through the crowd catch up.

"Hey mister," the one monster said to him. The other monster, a Vulkin if Ryan remembered correctly, hung back a step, looking even more nervous now. "Can my friend and I get your autograph?"

Ryan was not sure he heard the monster right. "My what?" he asked.

"Your autograph," the monster repeated, holding out a pen and paper to him. "You're the human right? From the TV?"

Ryan felt his heart stop for a moment and he very nearly bolted in the other direction, but his shock kept him rooted long enough for the monster to go on. "That was my favorite MTT episode ever!" they explained. "There was so much action, and that cliffhanger at the end! You're a really good actor."

"Actor?" he repeated questioningly. Then the memories came rushing back of the day he fought his way through the caverns between the city and Hotland and he remembered the cameras. It had been his fear at the time that they would reveal his presence to every monster in the Underground, and it seemed he had been right, just not in the way he had expected.

They thought he was an actor. Ryan let out a breath, but his heart still pounded with adrenaline. "Sure, it would be my pleasure." He said shakily as he reached down for the pen and paper, playing along. No point in going against what they thought about him now.

"How did you get in with Mettaton anyway?" the monster asked while Ryan straightened. "Normally he's all like, 'I work alone,' and stuff."

"I guess I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," he joked. The kids looked up at him like they didn't get it. Ryan turned his attention to the paper and paused. He was suddenly unsure what to write. He had not used his full name in what felt like an eternity. Finally he decided just 'Ryan' would do and he wrote it down on the paper and handed it back to the monster.

"Sweet! So, when's part two gonna happen?"

"Part two?" Ryan questioned.

"Yeah! 'The exciting conclusion of the battle between Mettaton and the rogue human.' Mettaton keeps hinting at it. So, will you tell us, please?"

This news unnerved him almost as much as thinking he had been discovered, but he put on a smile and said to the children. "And spoil it? Not on your life. Trust me, though. It will be worth the wait."

That seemed to satisfy the two and they ran off excitedly. Ryan frowned at their backs. It looked like he had something completely different to worry about on this trip.

 

It was not until the rest of the group made it to the park that they realized Ryan was gone. "Perhaps he found something he wanted in one of the stores?" Alphys suggested while she watched Undyne and the two monsters capable of flight in their group search back down the way they came for any sign of him.

"I highly doubt that." Snowy said. The drake was perched atop one of the wooden arches covering parts of the trail that ran through the park. The frame was covered in hundreds of blue and red blossoms and gave a halfway decent look over the park. The drake did not look hopeful however. The group gathered around a large gazebo while they waited for their missing members. It sat at the center of a small pond not far from the edge of the park. Like the arch that curved over the path across the water, the white-painted gazebo was also covered in vines that sprouted with blossoms. And like the rest of the park, it was hugged close by trees.

"You don't think he got lost, do you?" Alphys asked next. The doctor stood in the center, feeling like she was unable to help. Papyrus set down the bags he had been carrying, looking very happy to do so, and put a reassuring and on her shoulder.

"As long as he remembers what I told him, he should be fine." Undyne told her as she paced around the rim of the wooden structure. "Besides, he can handle himself fine on his own. Might even be good for him."

"They're back!" MK shouted as he ran towards them from deeper into the park.

Sallie marched into view behind him. She was still dragging Ayame behind her. The two monsters said nothing; they ignored everyone's questions of what happened, walking into the gazebo and sitting down without breaking their silence. Other problems forgotten, the rest of the group joined them within. The rabbit monster still looked more than frustrated and Ayame's eyes were glued to the floor. Sallie crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the ground while the others funneled inside as well. By that point, questions had ceased and a tension seemed to fill the spaces between them as they stood around the two. After another moment, Undyne shot Whimsalot a look which made the tiny monster flinch back.

"You know, I think I'll keep looking for Ryan." He told himself. "Froggit, you want to come with?"

"Certainly, ribbit." The two exited the gazebo just about as fast as they were able to. Once they were gone, Undyne's one-eyed gaze shifted to Papyrus, who had much the same reaction as Whimsalot.

"Children, I think we should go explore around the park a bit." He said suddenly, addressing MK and Snowy.

The two monsters looked up at the skeleton in confusion. "Why?" MK questioned.

"Because we should." Papyrus explained sloppily.

"But-"

"No arguing, now let's get a move on." The skeleton pushed the two out into the park. Undyne gave a satisfied nod before sitting down on the bench that ringed the inner walls of the gazebo. Alphys came to join her after a moment. Alone now, Sallie seemed to relax a little.

"So, how did it go?" Undyne asked while the rest waited for someone to speak first.

Sallie's mouth twisted for a moment as she struggled to form words around her anger. "That man was… insufferable!" She shouted. "If I was Ayame, I would have run away from him too. He wanted to just tie her up in the castle and wouldn't listen to a word she had to say!"

Undyne and Alphys exchanged a look. They did not seem surprised to find out that was how it ended.

"He _is_ justified." Ayame tried to point out.

"He is _not_ justified." Sallie argued. "Ayame, I don't care how you used to act, he has no right to talk to you like that or treat you like that."

The Astigmatism shook her head. "Sallie, you have no idea. He has very good reason not to believe a word I say. You all do, really."

Sallie turned to the monster and took on a lecturing tone, even wagging a finger before the monster, something she typically reserved only for Ryan, but it always seemed to work well enough on him. "Do not start talking like that. None of us believe you've been lying to us since the day you apologized and we're not going to start. And at the end of the trip you are still coming back with us."

"Hold on," Undyne started. "What exactly happened over there?"

Sallie explained to the other two what had happened in the castle, including the conversation she had had with Ayame's father alone. The Astigmatism looked sullen when she learned what he father had said about her, but not at all surprised. They were all silent for a moment while they took in the monster's words.

"Not that I enjoy playing devil's advocate," Alphys spoke up, "but with Ayame having a history of being a compulsive liar, it makes perfect sense that her dad wouldn't believe her or you." Her eyes twitched to the other monster for a moment and her voice lowered before she added, "No offence, Ayame."

Ayame shrugged. "No point in getting mad at the truth." She stated.

"Sense or no, it's an opinion that needs to be changed." Sallie went on.

"Unfortunately that's easier said than done." Alphys explained. "Now, I'm no expert on this, but from what I do know, there isn't much someone in Ayame's position could really do."

"So then how are we supposed to convince him otherwise?" Sallie asked.

"By example, maybe?" Alphys suggested. "Though, that might not work in this instance either. If he's shown the truth in a way that it can't be denied as such, I can't see why that wouldn't work. The only other possibility I can see is somebody he trusts not to be manipulated by her telling him the same things."

"I'm not so sure about that." Undyne chimed in. "Sallie is right about one thing: the man is insufferable, and on more matters than just his daughter. In some ways he's even worse than how she used to act." For a moment Sallie thought Ayame looked like she was going to deny that statement, but the other monster kept silent as Undyne went on. "Councilman Hiroshi is very… delusional; he has this idea in his head of how the world is and how it should act around him and ignores any evidence to the contrary. Luckily I don't deal with him all that much. Unfortunately, I often finding myself agreeing with the way he's been running things lately. He could just do it a little less coldly. "

"Are you trying to say it's hopeless?" Sallie questioned.

"Not hopeless, but not easy either." She leaned back on the bench and looked up at the vines that covered the ceiling and wound themselves around the support beams. "I agree with Alphys. We're going to try again tomorrow, and this time we'll come with you guys."

"Huh?" Alphys said. "What do you mean 'we'?"

"I mean me and you." Undyne clarified. "Who else has a better chance of convincing him besides the king?"

The doctor immediately looked ready to find a place to hide. "No, nonononono." Alphys stammered. "I can't go."

"Why not?" The warrior questioned.

"He'll ask me about my research." Alphys said like she was not even responding to the question.

Sallie immediately understood. She never said anything outright, but she knew that her research had been the cause of most of the doctor's grief for some time now. Unfortunately, it seemed Undyne did not understand that. "So?" she asked tactlessly.

Alphys looked to snap back to the present. She looked up at Undyne half pleadingly and half simply in remorse. "I haven't made any progress with the barrier in forever," she explained. "If I go to the castle, I know he'll ask why… I'm sick of letting people down."

Contrary to how Sallie thought the warrior would respond, Undyne stood up from the bench and then took a knee before the other monster. Calmly, she said, "Alphys, he can't get mad at you for that."

Sallie noticed tears running down the doctor's face. She took off her glasses and wiped her face. "He can and he will."

"Well, if he does then I'll throw him off a roof." Undyne told her as a way of reassuring her.

The monster immediately looked taken aback. "No, don't do that!"

"Then come with me." Undyne smiled. "Or I will anyway."

"Undyne…"

There was a moment of silence before Ayame began laughing. All heads turned to her. Her mirth went on as she looked between them. "Thanks guys," she said as her laugher died down. "This is way more than I deserve."

Sallie smiled and took the other monster's hand in her's. "You're our friend, Ayame. This is the least we could do."

"So, it's settled then?" Undyne inquired and Sallie nodded.

After another moment's hesitation, Alphys nodded as well. "You're right, Sallie," she said. "This is the least I can do for Ayame."

"You guys can come in now!" Undyne shouted and the guys joined them a second later.

Sallie immediately noticed one missing from their number. "Where's Ryan?" They all shrugged, and then she noticed another member missing as well. "For that matter, where's Ruby?"

 

The first two monsters that approached him seemed to open up a flood gate. Not three steps after he began to try to follow after his friends, more monsters cut him off with questions regarding if he was indeed the one from TV, his relation to Mettaton, more requests for his signature, and more comments about this mystery conclusion to their previous fight. Every time he tried to get away, another group cut him off and he was forced to turn down a different street to avoid further attention. It did not take him long to get lost.

He ducked into an alley to escape the crowds for just a moment and try to figure out what he could do. He could call someone, but he doubted he could give an accurate description of where he was for Alphys or anyone to give him direction, nor did he want anyone finding out about what had been happening. He was no longer in a part of the city that was structured identically to the ruins. He tried to remember what Undyne had told him just that morning of what to do if one of them got lost.

"The park is at the very center of the city." She had said. "So all you have to do is keep the castle in the middle one way and if you're closer to it or the city's edge, go towards the farther and you can't miss it." Seemed easy enough.

He poked his head out to get his bearings. The castle seemed to be no closer or farther than it ever seemed to be, but it was definitely more to his left by a good deal. He must have gotten pretty far away from the main avenue. Now that he had at least some idea of where he was and where to go, re readied to brave the crowds again just as he heard a noise behind him that made him turn. He thought he saw a shadow disappear around a corner, but it may have just been his imagination. Then he noticed a piece of paper floating down to the ground a little ways back into the alley. There had been no breeze that he could feel.

He grabbed the paper just as it hit the ground and flipped it over. On that side, scrawled over its whole length, was the message _Hey! Keep going up this creepy alleyway for some great deals!_ Ryan had been living with monsters long enough to know that this was most likely not anything malicious, and it had his curiosity peeked to be sure. Perhaps they could even give him directions. But after what had just happened, he made his way deeper into the alley with a measure of caution, ready for anything.

The alley branched off into several others around him. He followed the one the note had fallen in front of. After turning a corner, it ended abruptly. Ryan found himself surrounded by the back entrances to various shops. It was also empty and, there was nothing significant enough for anything more than a mouse to hide behind. But as he turned to go, he noticed two pairs of eyes, glowing almost predatorily in the darkness of the alley, watching him from one of the doorways and realized that it was not the back entrance to a shop at all. It was a small shack attached to one of the buildings. It was made up sheets of wood and metal that had seen better days and all looked to be thrown together rather haphazardly. When the two pairs of eyes peeking up from out of one of the windows saw that he noticed them, they began to whisper.

"Hey! Check it out!" One voice said.

"Yeah! Check it out!" Another voice echoed. He could hear them both clearly despite the whispers. Ryan could not tell if they were purposefully not trying to be quiet or simply did not realize how loud they were.

"He totally came!" The first voice went on.

"Yeah! I was, like, totally not expecting that." The light of the strangers' eyes vanished for a moment as giggling carried into the alley.

"I'm guessing you two left the note?" Ryan asked. None of this particularly stuck out to him as out of the ordinary yet, at least where monsters were concerned, and he decided to just run with the way things seemed to be going. He heard a quiet yelp before the eyes disappeared once more. There was a crash from within the shack before two figures emerged from the building and into the alley. Perhaps they really had not thought he could hear them. One looked to Ryan almost like an alligator with blonde hair wearing a pink poncho and the other was a purple, humanoid cat in blue overalls. The hair on the top of its head was black with the tips of the bangs dyed blue. They walked up to Ryan with an almost childlike excitement to them. They didn't look at all nervous; he guessed it must be because they did this kind of thing a lot.

"I'm Bratty, and this is my best friend, Catty." The alligator monster introduced.

"I'm Catty, and this is my best friend, Bratty." The cat said almost on top of her friend.

"Ryan," he introduced himself as he looked around the empty alley again. "So you two have a shop?" He asked. He thought he should just probably ask for directions, but his curiosity got the better of him. Plus, it would be rude to just ask for directions without at least looking, if they did actually have a shop.

"Oh, yeah," Bratty said as if she had forgotten for a moment. The monster was eyeing him a bit more closely than her friend. It was beginning to make Ryan nervous.

The two monsters then started to talk back and forth, often one finishing the other's sentence.

"The stuff in all of the stores is like…"

"Totally wicked expensive."

"But, like, this stuff we found is like…"

"Totally wicked cheap." Ryan felt like it sounded more than a little rehearsed.

"You should, like, totally wicked buy all of it!" They both finished, their voices rising in pitch with each word.

"I imagine this isn't the best place to have a store." Ryan commented, not meaning it to be unkind. "Do you advertise throughout the city, or do you just place cryptic notes for anyone who happens to walk into your alley?" He asked them.

The two monsters exchanged puzzled looks. "I mean you were kinda just standing there…"

"Looking all suspicious and stuff."

"So we figured you'd be perfect for what we have to offer." They were back to finishing one another's sentences like it was second nature for them.

"But we, like, weren't about to come up and ask you…"

"With you being all creepy."

"Plus we just found these gel pens…"

"So, like, of course we had to use them." Giddy would have been too light of a word to describe how they bounced in excitement as they finished their explanation.

If nothing else, that answer made him certain the two were not going to do anything other than what they said. He shrugged before saying, "Alright, I guess I'm here. What do you got?"

The two monsters gestured to blanket rolled out on the ground. Atop it was what looked like a haphazardly thrown pile of junk. Ryan had dismissed it more than once as just trash. He was about to make comment, but then remembered just how many stores he had gone to that day pedaling much the same. Already committed, he leaned down and began sifting through it. Most of it was junk, he realized. Then again, so was most of what was in the other stores. He found a sandwich that already had a bite taken out of it, an old key, a cowboy hat and…

The glint of metal caught his eye and he tossed some things aside to see what it was. His breath nearly caught. It was a gun, he realized, a revolver. He picked it up and looked it over carefully. The metal of the gun weighed heavy in his hand and the gun was very much real. The wood of the grip was nearly rotted away but there was no sign of rust on the gun itself. He swung out the cylinder and breathed a sigh of relief that it was empty.

"Where did you find this?" He asked, showing them the gun.

The reptilian monster, Bratty, rolled her eyes before answering, "I mean, like, where does anyone get guns, or food, or…"

"We found it in the garbage!" Catty blurted out.

The two monsters exchanged shocked looks before returning to their merry selves.

"It's good garbage." Bratty went on.

"It's like, really good garbage." Catty agreed.

"And where did you get this garbage?" Ryan followed up.

"Where do we get the garbage?" They both looked to each other again.

"Like, the garbage store, duh!" The two paused to share a private chuckle.

"Waterfall mostly." Bratty answered seriously that time.

"I found the gun in a dumpster!" Catty added. She looked more than proud by that fact.

"A dumpster here? In the city?" He asked her.

"Yeah, why? It's not yours, is it?" the cat monster suddenly looked nervous.

"No," Ryan told her looking back at the gun. "But I will take it."

The two girls blinked. "Wait, seriously?" he nodded.

Catty turned to her friend, looking like she was ready to jump to the top of the dome. "Oh my god, Bratty, someone bought something!"

Bratty instantly mirrored her friend's excitement. "I know, we're going to be rich!"

Ryan decided to cut in before their positive feedback loop could build to critical mass. "How much?" he inquired.

"Three hundred fifty G." Catty blurted and Ryan nearly choked. That was about all he had managed to save up since he had returned to Snowdin, plus he still has his debts to pay off. But, there was no way he could just let something like that just sit in a shop in alley.

"Deal," he struggled to say as he fished out the sack of coins he had in his coat pocket. He handed them to the monsters and slid the gun beneath his belt over the small of his back while the two squealed over the coins.

"One other thing, do you think you could help me get back to the park in the center of the city, or at least to the main road leading to it?" Ryan scratched the back of his head. "I got kind of lost, which is why I'm here in the first place."

"The park?" Bratty asked him. "That's nowhere near here."

"How did you manage to get _that_ lost?" Catty added.

Ryan shrugged. "I'm from out of town; just visiting for a few days."

"Still, you would have had to have tried very hard to get this lost."

"Well, other monsters weren't exactly making it easy to stay on the path…"

"Why would they…" Bratty began, and then she gasped, sucking in air slowly as her mouth and eyes went wide. "Wait a second, I recognize you now! You were on TV with Mettaton that one time! I knew you looked familiar. I almost didn't see it without that human getup you were wearing at the time."

Catty gasped as well. "Oh my god, you're right! It is him!"

Ryan clenched his jaw to stop from grinding his teeth. "So I take it you two are fans of Mettaton?"

"Oh my god. Mettaton." The two said at the same time.

"He's like my robot husband." Bratty said.

"Actually he's like… _my_ robot husband." Catty clarified.

"I think we're like… both going to marry him."

"We're both like, already married to him. He just, like, doesn't know it yet."

Ryan could tell it was time for him to leave. "Right, well… I think I should get going," he informed the two as he tried to step around them, but the duo of monsters cut him off.

"Wait!" Bratty said, "You can't go yet."

"Yeah, tells about Mettaton!" Catty added.

"How did you meet him?"

"Can we meet him?"

"Yeah, can we meet him?"

"Listen, I think you are highly overestimating my influence with-" he tried to reason with them, but they cut him off.

"Please let us meet Mettaton!"

"Please!"

Ryan was not sure what to do. He certainly could not give them what they wanted. He could bolt, but that would raise questions that would spread throughout the city by nightfall, and he had already left a bigger blip on the radar of the city than he would have liked. But before he could come up with some excuse to get away, he heard Ruby's voice calling from back down the alley. "Ryan? Ryan!" The fire monster turned the corner a second later. She looked more than relieved to see him. "There you are!" She said as she ran up to join them.

He could not stop himself from breathing a sigh of relief himself at the sight of the monster. "Hey, yeah," he began in embarrassment. "I got a bit lost and-"

"Did you really think you could just sneak away and goof off?" She interrupted, giving him a furious look.

While Ryan tried to figure out what he did wrong, the other two monsters turned to her. "Like, who are you?" Bratty asked her condescendingly.

"Yeah, you can't yell at him like that. He's, like, totally famous."

Ruby cleared her throat before answering. " _I_ am his agent." She told them; she even pulled a business card from her pocket and handed it to Bratty. She then turned her attention back to Ryan. "And _you_ have work to do. You are not going to keep Mettaton waiting again." She grabbed him by the wrist and started to drag him away. Ryan, having caught on, let himself be dragged, trying to look sullen. "Honestly, I cannot believe you would do something like this!" Ruby kept on. "Considering how long it took to get this set up and how much _I_ had to put into this, you are not going to let this opportunity fall through the cracks."

The fire monster went on until they were sure they were sufficient distance from the other monsters before she stopped and let go of him. She then nearly doubled over with laughter. Ryan found himself laughing as well. "I can't believe that actually worked!" She exclaimed.

"That was pretty good." Ryan admitted. "Whimsalot and I could have used you in the ruins. How did you come up with all of that so quickly?" he asked.

"I didn't really," she admitted as they began to make their way back through actual city streets. Thankfully, no one else came up to him. "You weren't the only one to notice all the weird looks you were getting, but just as I went to go see what was up, everyone else left and you started getting surrounded. Then I just tried to keep you in sight while I tried to think of a way to get you out of it. Then you disappeared into an alley, so I followed and was kind of eavesdropping."

"Well, I'm happy you did." Ryan told her. "Where did you get a business card though?"

"Oh, that? It's just a card Mettaton handed out at one point. I doubted they'd find anything wrong with it."

"And you just had that on you?" He asked.

"Hey, he's entertaining." She defended. "And just because you don't like him doesn't mean I can't."

Ryan had to ascend to her that point. "Fair enough. Now, let's get to the others before we find ourselves in a situation we _can't_ talk ourselves out of."

 

"And just where have you been?" Sallie asked as Ryan and Ruby finally made their way up the winding path to the park. The light that filtered beneath the trees had turned gold as afternoon turned to evening. Snowy flew off to inform those who had gone to look for the two that they were back. She felt like she had been asking him that question way too often lately.

Ryan waited until he was seated to answer. He looked strangely exhausted. "I have had a very interesting afternoon that I would like to forget." He straightened, as if trying to do just that, and looked at her with a measure of concern. "But that can come later. How'd things go on your end?"

"Horrible." She told him flatly. The rest of their group gathered within the gazebo as they returned from their searches. Everyone remained quiet as they felt the mood.

"Excellent, good times all around." Ayame said sarcastically. "Great first day of vacation guys…"

"The day's not over yet." Snowy reminded them, trying to be the voice of optimism.

"Yeah! The night has only just begun!" Whimsalot said as he floated into the center of the gazebo.

"The night hasn't even begun yet, ribbit." Froggit corrected.

"Exactly! There's still plenty of time to do something fun. Like discover an ancient part of the city, for example." He looked away, playing innocent. "Just a suggestion though…"

"Listen bug, if you bring that up one more time I will rip your wings off." Undyne threatened.

"I don't really feel like doing much of anything to be honest." Ayame admitted.

"Then that is the perfect reason to do something." Papyrus said, standing up. "Like I always say, 'you should never go to bed angry or sullen, otherwise you wake up in a cyclone of rubble because your brother tore the house down trying to do his own laundry."

The group gave the skeleton silent, confused looks before Undyne slapped him between the shoulders. "I have no idea what you said Papyrus, but I agree. We can't just be moody all day; it's still a vacation."

"And, as a wise woman once told me, there's a great cure for that." Ryan added.

"What's that?" Alphys asked.

"Alcohol." He said with a smirk.

"To the bars then?" Sallie asked the group.

"To the bars!" Ryan shouted as a war cry, standing up as well.

"Can we-?" MK and Snowy began.

"No." Everyone else told them with a stern look.

 

Several hours later found the group sitting on the roof of the barracks, looking out over the city. Most of them were significantly happier than they had been that afternoon and it was only in part due to the alcohol in their systems. The places they had gone to had been filled with friendly monsters that had joined their merriment and they had joined theirs'. Once Ryan had managed to push aside his anxiety of being recognized, he actually began to enjoy himself too. A part of him was still surprised by how happy they all seemed to be in the midst of such and overcrowded city. For the life of him though, he could not remember how he had gotten it into his head that it would be anything but. Perhaps it was simply him thinking like a human.

"I'll give this city one thing," he said absently to the rest of the group as they sat with their legs dangling over the edge of the roof. "It looks absolutely beautiful at night." The barracks was by no means the tallest building in that part of the city, but it gave them a good view nonetheless as all of the buildings began to light up in neon signs or giant arrays of halogen bulbs that flashed between colors like a carnival ride. Coupled with the starry sky above them, it was a picturesque perfect night. The others nodded in agreement with him.

"So, were monsters really asking for you autograph?" Undyne asked him for the third time that hour.

"Yes, they were. And it was all very strange." He turned to Sallie who was sitting at his other side. Out of the corner of his eye, behind the monster, he saw Snowy fly out over the roof and then MK fall after him a moment later. The drake caught the lizard before he could fall more than a foot and placed him back on the ledge. "Can I please stay here tomorrow?" He asked the rabbit. Sallie growled at him, frustrated that he would even ask. "Just during the day? No one seemed to care tonight, so I will totally go out again tomorrow."

She was about to tell him no outright, but when he had told her his tale of what had gone on that day, she sympathized with his trepidations. And he had been a good enough sport that night. Besides, it looked like she was going to be gone all day tomorrow too anyway. She sighed. "You can stay here until we get back from the castle." She indulged. "No later."

"Fair enough." Ryan announced and finished off his drink. "Where's Alphys? I have something I want to ask her."

Ryan pulled the doctor inside the door that led from the roof back down to the halls below and shut the door, cutting off the noise of the rest of the group and the drone of the city. It was almost eerily silent in comparison. "Do you know anything about what Mettaton has been up to?" he asked her.

The monster jumped slightly in surprise and asked. "Why?"

"A lot of monsters were talking about some sort of 'follow up episode' to what happened above Hotland." Ryan told her. "They were talking about it like it was fresh on their minds, like someone had just brought it up to them. Do you know if he's planning anything?"

The doctor took a moment to think before shaking her head. "Ever since I've started helping you, I hardly see him anymore. He only ever comes by the lab when he needs repairs, but he doesn't really talk to me very much…"

Ryan crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, not at all surprised by that answer. He had been by the lab himself enough times and had not seen the robot once. "Would you put it past him to try something?" he asked next.

The doctor's shoulders slumped. "Honestly, no. But, I don't even know if he knows we're in the city. I didn't leave a note at the lab, or anything like that."

"But, I should at least keep an eye out." He let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Just one more thing to add to the list…"

"I'm sorry about this, Ryan…" Alphys said suddenly.

"What do you mean?"

The monster looked on the verge of tears. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't set up that scheme with Mettaton in the beginning then none of this would have happened."

Ryan shook his head. "No, it's my own fault. I got myself into this situation by being impatient and making him hate my guts."

"Still…"

Ryan put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it Alphys, I'm not mad at you, just mad at myself." He looked back at the door. "Come on, let's finish this night on a high note." He gestured his head back towards the roof. Alphys smiled and nodded and they rejoined their friends. Tomorrow's problems could be dealt with tomorrow.

 

Ryan descended the elevator beneath the city. He stood near that back of the large cylinder with his head down, ignoring the lights as they pulsed through the windows that made up most of the walls to mark his downward path. After another minute the rock of the shaft gave way to an orange glow and Ryan looked up at last.

His eyes immediately drifted to the core, looming impossibly large in the distance. He tore himself away as feelings of unease began to fester in his stomach. He had more than enough problems cause that for it to add to it. Instead he focused on the town that sat in the center of the lake of lava below. He still had yet to actually visit Hotland proper. He was beginning to wonder if he'd ever get the chance. Either way, that was not what he was here for now.

The elevator slowed to a stop and opened its doors to a small island some distance from the volcanic town. Far enough that no one would see him, he hoped. He braced himself for the heat and stepped out to the edge of the small island. Liquid rock bubbled just a few inches below him, and a waist high guard railed seemed to offer little protection from any sort of accident, but it mattered little to him.

He took the gun he had purchased earlier out from under his shirt and looked it over once more. The dull metal seemed to absorb the light of the lake instead of reflect it. He opened the cylinder once again to confirm that it was indeed empty. For some reason he kept expecting bullets to sudden appear within the chambers. Letting go of a breath, he said to himself, "Something like this has no place in the world of monsters." He tossed the gun over the railing and into the molten lake below. He watched it begin to glow red as the remnants of the wooden grip turned to ash and then it sunk beneath the surface, and it was done. "I'm sorry." He added softly, feeling it necessary.

He ascended the elevator much the same way he had come down, trying to find a peace of mind that seemed to elude him more and more each day. That, at least, would be one less thing on his mind.

 

"You look lost in thought." Karim noted while they dueled the next morning. Ryan could not think of anything better to do that day than train with the monster. Plus, he intrigued him. He wanted to know more about the instructor.

He was the only one left in the barracks. Sallie and the rest of the girls had gone to the castle once again, and Whimsalot had apparently been able to rope everyone else into his little exploration scheme. For once, he was content to stay as far away from that as possible.

"I usually am." He said in response.

"Is that just a human thing?" The monster struck out at Ryan's offhand with a low swipe of his practice sword.

Ryan blocked it with a practiced ease. "Seems to be."

"Well, it certainly isn't impairing your ability to fight." The monster added. He switched his grip on the weapon and pulled it back to stab at Ryan's midriff.

He dodged to the side and brought his own sword up beneath the monster's chin. "To be fair, you don't seem to be trying very hard either." He told the instructor.

"True," Karim agreed, dropping his sword. Ryan lowered his as well and the two split apart. "I have my own troubles on my mind."

"Like what?" Ryan inquired.

"You first." He told him.

Ryan thought for a second. There were a lot of things on his mind, most of which he did not trust the monster with yet. But he supposed there was one question he might be able to answer. "Do monsters care at all about crowded it is in this city, about being trapped down here at all?"

Karim looked at him for a moment like he had two heads and he started to laugh. "Of course we care, why?"

Ryan looked away as he figured out how to word it. "It's just that, when I came here, I had expected everyone to be miserable, but everyone I've seen seems to be happy despite their situation."

The monster put down his weapon on the racks against the wall and went to a bag he had tucked into the corner. He pulled out a sandwich and offered one to Ryan who declined it with a wave of his hand. "You must have been down here long enough to learn that monsters aren't really one for dwelling on problems we can't fix." He said as he started to eat. "Sure the city's crowded, sure we're stuck down here, but there isn't really much we can do to change either of those things, so we make the best out of it. Things could be a lot worse."

"I suppose you're right about that." Ryan said as he looked at the mirror covering one of the walls cold eyes met his own and he blinked the image away in shock. "But they're not truly happy, are they?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" The monster asked him.

"It's all just a mask, isn't it?" Ryan went on. "A distraction to hide themselves from the reality of the situation, one that is, in fact, bad and getting worse by the day. Eventually the day will come when it can't be ignored anymore, and that's when the tough decision will have to start being made."

"What brought all of this up?" Karim asked him, slightly wary.

Ryan turned to the monster. "You're a member of the Royal Guard." He stated. "So you should know that better than anyone. Now, with Undyne I have an arrangement, one that makes it so she is willing to let me try something before taking my soul to the king. But you and I have no agreement, you know nothing about me or my intentions and yet you haven't tried to take my soul or even inform the king of my existence. What I'm wondering is, why?"

Karim's eyes went to the light of Ryan's soul for a second before answering. "I've been part of the Royal Guard since before you were born." He began. "Since then, the Underground has changed a lot, and so have I. There was a time where I would have killed you without hesitation, Undyne too, all without even the slightest amount of doubt that what we did was right…" He trailed off for a moment.

"It's taken ten years to get six human souls. Ten years is a long time, long enough for doubts to come and go and come again, long enough for them to consume you. I've had enough of death and killing, even if a part of me still thinks it's justified." The monster fingered the scar on his chest, likely without realizing he did it. "In the beginning, the king had told us all that he would get the souls and ascend to the surface to slaughter all of humanity. So that we may finally know peace. And every single one of us cheered in agreement.

"Peace, through genocide. Even the humans hadn't gone that far. All they did was seal us away. Fortunately, monsters' anger is often short lived, but even then we accepted that collecting the souls was the only way to get out of here; we thought that seven lives justified the freedom of millions. But now? As each day passes we all seem to doubt that more and more.

"Any monster will still tell you they support the king and his plan without hesitation, but they'll tell you with shifting eyes and an unspoken question about whether they actually believe that themselves, I think."

Ryan took a moment to absorb all the monster had said. "Do you think they would be willing to try another way?"

"What other way?" The monster shot back, suddenly angry. "Everything else has been tried."

"I'm asking if there's at least the suggestion of an alternative, whether or not they would be willing to try. How willing are monsters to actually go through with the king's plan now that you're so close."

The monster seemed to try to see through him. "What are you getting at?"

Ryan hesitated just a moment, but it was long enough for him to bite back his words. "Never mind, it hardly matters."

"Since you've gotten so much from me, why not tell me what it exactly you intend to do since you're stuck down here with us."

"I intent to fight a fight that I would rather avoid." He told the monster. "And then I am going to lose, and hopefully all of the effort I've put in will be worth it after."

Karim nodded as if he understood without needing to ask further. "Well, if you need help losing, I'd be willing to give you some practice at it."

Ryan smirked. "Oh really?"

"Oh, yes. I'd love to have my blade pressed against a human's throat. I hope you don't take that personally."

"Not at all." Ryan said as he charged at the monster again.

 

"Do we really _still_ need to do this?" Ayame moaned as she, Sallie, Undyne and Alphys made their way to the castle. Once more, Sallie held the Astigmatism tightly by the shoulders and she was none too happy about it.

"Ayame, you are one of my closest friends." Sallie told her. "That being said, I do not trust you on your own any more than I think the barrier will fall this very minute." That may have been a little rude, but she had more than enough of an excuse to be irate at the moment, at least in her mind. The elevator they had taken to get to the castle had been stuck halfway to their destination for most of the day. They had had to spend hours sitting in that car, power out of their hands, until it was fixed. It was a time she'd rather forget. They were all a little frustrated and ready to get this over with so they could join the others for what was left of the day.

"How do you even know it's really me?" Ayame tried to argue. "I could have switched myself with a brick before we got off the elevator and you wouldn't even know." Sallie bopped the monster on the head. "Ow, what was that for?"

"There, that answers both our questions." She said in response.

As they made their way through the castle that time, none of them stopped to gape at the ornate architecture, however Alphys and Undyne both began to look uneasy. "It feels like forever since I've been here…" Undyne said absently. "Weird, considering I'm the King's bodyguard."

"I haven't been her in a while either…" Alphys said. The doctor kept looking at every turn and doorway like she expected the king to just pop out of any of them and she did not look like she wanted that in the slightest.

In the middle of the halls, Ayame suddenly stopped and turned to her friends. "Let's get one thing clear before we get there," she began. "The odds of this working are slim, let's admit it. And since I know some of you are known for reckless outbursts of anger," her eyes flashed to Sallie and Undyne, "I want you to promise me that if things start to derail that you won't do or say anything to make the situation worse. In the end I can always sneak away again." She tried to play off her worry with a smile.

Surprisingly, Undyne spoke up first. "As much as I would like to just go in there and punch your father in the face, I do have a bit of experience with politicians." She smiled down at the other monster before walking ahead of them. "Just leave this to me; everything will be fine." The other monsters shared a look before following after her.

When they arrived in the sitting room as they had yesterday, there was no monster there to meet them. Once more Ayame opened the door to the office without ceremony. Her father was once more sitting at his desk and smiled as he looked up at them. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Come to deliver my daughter already? I knew you would come to your senses." He then seemed to notice who had joined them and his smile dipped for the briefest instant. "The Captain of the Royal Guard _and_ the Royal Scientist? To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"We heard that there was a problem." Undyne said dryly.

The councilman went back to what he had been working on before they had come in. "Yes, my daughter had run away again. But, she is here now, so it is no problem you need worry about. Thank you for the concern however."

"Not a problem with Ayame, sir, a problem with you." Undyne clarified.

The Astigmatism looked up from his desk again. All pretense of kindness was gone from his features. "Has she roped you two up in this as well?" he asked.

Ayame looked ready to say something but a hand on her shoulder from Undyne kept her quiet. The guardswoman stepped up to the desk. "You have it wrong, sir. The only one who seems to misunderstand the situation is you."

The Astigmatism held the monster's gaze with ease. "Is that so?" he said flatly, "and what makes you think you know my own daughter better than me, exactly?"

"Well, unlike you I've actually been living with her these past few months; talking to her, spending time with her, things like that. So I think I have a pretty good idea of who she is and what she wants out of life." She paused to gesture and Ayame and Sallie. "Everything those two told you yesterday was true. Ayame found her peace, and as head of the Royal guard, it is my duty to protect that peace and to protect her from those who seek to keep her from it." Undyne then leaned over the desk. "But, beyond that, she's my friend. A friend that I would like not to lose. So when I heard that someone was trying to force her to come back home, I decided I couldn't let that happen."

Councilman Hiroshi gave Undyne his attention for another second before leaning to see around her. The warrior did not seem to intimidate him in the slightest. "Are you going along with this story as well?" The question was directed at Alphys. The doctor nodded, though she looked away from the other monster first.

The councilman chuckled. "You both have some nerve." He stood up before going on, no longer hiding his anger behind a mask of patience. "Need I remind you that I am the king's advisor, and, in his absence, I am his proxy. You will address me with the same respect due to him, _captain_. You are lucky I do not punish the both of you for both insubordination and failing to properly do your jobs." The monster's voice rose with each word. "I have heard barely anything from either of you and now you show up in _my_ office with these ridiculous demands and threats?"

He turned his attention back to the guardswoman. "You, Undyne, have not reported for duty nine times out of ten for the past six months instead pushing your responsibilities on those under you."

"I've been busy." She said flatly. "Sir." She added as an afterthought.

"Busy?" the councilman questioned. "What could possibly be more important than your duty to the Kingdom?"

"That's my business." Undyne told him.

The other monster's eyes widened. " _Your_ business?" He gave a wry chuckle. "You are not helping your case, my dear. Your business is the Kingdom's business, and therefore it is my business. So I suggest you give me a good enough reason for your absence before you find that you are no longer head of the Guard."

For a moment, Sallie thought she would keep silent, but then she growled and said, "Training," and then she added reluctantly, "I've been training someone outside of the normal guard."

The answer did nothing to quash the Astigmatism's anger. "Unless this monster can in some way destroy the barrier, then that is not anywhere near a sufficient excuse!"

"He just might." Undyne told him and Sallie could not help but flinch. What was she trying to do?

The councilman chuckled again. "Is there anyone here who has not lost their mind?" He said to the air. The monster turned away from Undyne, and diverted his attention to Alphys.

"And you. It has been over a year since you have produced anything that even remotely resembles a progress report. What have you been doing all this time, twiddling your thumbs? In the time that you have wasted, the Kingdom has been able to gather nearly enough human souls to break the barrier without your help. I am strongly considering shutting down your lab entirely since it seems to be doing nothing but drawing an absurd amount of energy from the core."

"No!" The doctor shouted fiercely.

"Then what, Doctor, do you suggest that I do? What justification can you provide that I should allow that facility that has not only a huge drain of resources, but has also been the cause of death for dozens of monster. You are the only one who still clings to it, so what reason do you have?"

Alphys worked her mouth like she wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Eventually, she gave up and dropped her gaze. Undyne stepped forward like she wanted to protected her, but the council spoke up again and kept her rooted.

"Just as I thought." He said softly. "Can none of you see past your own selfishness? The king has been in a state of despondency for over a year now. The only reason why every monster in the kingdom has not fallen into a similar state of depression has been through my efforts in his stead. I have kept hope alive, and each of you has a part to play in that." His eyes scanned over each of them, notably skipping over Sallie. "And yet all you seem to do is battle me at every turn when all that I do is of the good of all of us. You should be ashamed."

The monster turned away from them and went back to his desk. "Get out." He told them. "Leave my daughter here and I will forget about this."

"Councilman-" It took Sallie a moment to realize it was her that spoke up, but she got no further than that.

"This matter is done!" The monster shouted. "If there is anyone else in this office aside from my daughter in the next minute I will have them arrested!" The air seemed to crackle in the silence that followed. The Astigmatism's eyes turned slowly towards Undyne. "Are you threatening me, captain?" He asked coldly.

Sallie followed his gaze and saw that Undyne held a spear at her side. "I think I've built up quite the adequate reputation of beating up anyone and everyone who ticks me off, _sir_." Her voice was more venom than ice and it made Sallie shiver. She was unsure what she should do.

"Do you think you have some special stance just because the king treated you as his own daughter for a time. You are not above the law! I-" The monster was cut off as the spear embedded itself in the back of his chair, mere inches from his face.

The monster shook in response but it was not with fear. He turned to Ayame. "Fine, you want to play this game of yours so badly? Then you can have your last day of freedom. Then I will have you all tried for treason!"

"That's a start." Undyne said merrily as the spear vanished from her hands. With a satisfied nod, she turned and began to walk back to the door.

"Mark me, if any of you try to run, I will find you!" The councilman shouted behind her.

The captain left the room and the others followed her out on her heals.

"What was that?" Ayame almost screamed when the door swung shut behind them. "Are you insane? He could have you jailed. Killed! I thought you said you would handle it. You made this all infinitely worse!"

"Did I?" Undyne said back.

"Yes!" Both Ayame and Sallie shouted back at her.

"I will admit, even I'm having trouble seeing how that wasn't the worst possible thing you could have done in that situation." Alphys told her. It was as good as outburst of fury, coming from her.

Undyne gave them all a puzzled look. "What? He made me mad." She said.

"He made you _mad_? You mean you weren't going to do all of that in the first place. You don't have a plan? You just snapped?" Ayame went on. The Astigmatism put a hand to her head suddenly looking faint. "I knew this was a bad idea from the start. Now you're all dragged into it. We'll be lucky if my father doesn't kill all of you!"

"You even almost gave Ryan away!" Sallie added. "What were you thinking?"

"I did no such thing!" The monster defended. "If he can peace that together from what I said, then he's crazier than he thinks we are."

"That still doesn't help matters." Alphys stepped in. "What should we do now?"

Undyne shrugged. "We still have one more day. I'm sure we'll think of something."

"And when we don't and my father comes after us before we can leave?" Ayame questioned.

The guardswoman rolled her eyes like she was dealing with new recruits who did not know which end of a sword to hold. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." She said simply.

 

Ryan waited in the entrance of the barracks as his friends began to file in that evening. They were all much later than he expected them to be. Whimsalot and his group of explorers came back first. They all looked exhausted, which made Ryan curious as to just what they had gotten themselves into. "So how did it go?" He asked as he met them. They each gave him an annoyed looked which confused Ryan even more. "Don't all answer at once."

"Don't wanna talk about it." Whimsalot said as he drifted past him. The rest of his friends followed after towards their rooms. Not even Snowy spared him a second glance.

Before he could question what that was all about, the doors to the entrance slammed open. Undyne stormed past him looking more enraged than he had seen her in a long time. Like the others, she barely spared him a glance.

Sallie and the rest were close behind. Both she and Alphys had an arm wrapped around Ayame. "How did it go?" He tried again. They each glared up at him. "That bad, huh?" He was beginning to see a pattern.

"I'll catch up in a minute." Sallie told the other two and they went up to join the others above, leaving just her and Ryan in oversized room.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Undyne happened." She said curtly.

Ryan let out a breath. "I'm sorry," he told her. "I should have come with you."

"No," Sallie told him, shaking her head to try to hide the tears that threatened to form in her eyes. "We never should have come on this stupid trip in the first place."

"Don't say that." Ryan tried to wrap his arms around her, but she stepped away from him.

"Why not? We've spent barely any time together, and things have only gotten worse and worse!"

"There's still one more day." He reminded her.

The monster kept her back to him. "It doesn't matter now."

"Why not?"

Sallie rounded on him, no longer holding back her tears and her frustrations. "Because the entire point of this trip was to get you to decide to stay!" she admitted. "We were trying to make you see that your only options weren't just giving yourself up or condemning us all to misery. We all decided it. We want you to be happy, with us."

Ryan was taken aback. They all wanted him to stay? "Sallie, I-"

"No," she cut him off, throwing her arms around him. "I don't want to hear it. I don't want to talk about it. This day has been bad enough already. I just want to get a drink and pretend like we're the only two people left in the world. No problems, no worries, nothing."

The monster shook as she spoke, and Ryan found him hating himself for it. He pulled her away and lifted her eyes up to his. "Okay." He told her.

She smiled. "Thank you."

 

There was little enjoyment in their third day in the city. Ayame refused to leave the safety of the barracks – Ryan had been shocked when he got the full story of what happened – and Undyne and Ruby promised to stay at her side. Sallie, having over done it last night, was still in bed and everyone else seemed to be for one reason or another as well. Not even Karim had been around to spar.

Having nothing better to do, he went to the park in the center of the city. Being able to find it on his own with little difficulty that time, he explored its paths while he waited for everyone to join him before they would make their way back to Snowdin that evening. He walked past many monsters in his stroll, all of them waved and struck up conversation to one extent or another. Thankfully no one recognized him from TV or otherwise. He even joined in a few games of catch with some kids.

As the hours passed, his mood only heightened. Sallie's words were still on his mind. A part of him hated it, that he had let it get this far. He recalled a time long ago when he had decided to keep going until the end and not drag anyone else with him. How far he had strayed from that path.

But at the same time, it was like a weight off his shoulders, a pressure that had somehow lessened. It changed nothing, he had to remind himself, and in a way it was still the last thing he would have wished happened. And yet he felt better for it all the same.

The hours melted away, and he was surprised when his phone vibrated in his pocket with a message from Sallie saying they were on their way. He took one last look around the park. He was not sure whether or not he would miss the city, but in the end, he was glad he came.

He began to make his way to spot where they had agreed to meet up when a voice made him freeze. "Hello human," it said in slightly distorted, artificial tones. Ryan turned slowly until he faced the speaker. "I've come to collect." Mettaton said with a smirk before his boot crashed into Ryan's stomach, sending him flying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And you probably thought I skipped it.  
> Chapter song: City Lights by Conro  
> Happy New Years everyone.


	31. Death by Glamour/The Instinct

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay, though I'm sure you'll soon realize why it was necessary. I had known, at the time, when I said that I would split up any chapters that got to over 16K words again that there would be a few exceptions to that rule if they got to that point. This was one of them.
> 
> Before we begin, allow me to explain the duality behind the chapter title this time around. As you've probably noticed, much of the story of the Underground is a bit… different… now. Because of that, I feel some of the game's music doesn't quite fit anymore, mainly for many of the fights. So the need for new music arose. Thus, the formula is simple: what was/what is. And, for this, that is The Instinct by Mick Gordon, because what's better for a fight than music from a fighting game?

Sallie awoke to find the other side of the bed empty, as it often was, and her mood immediately went sour. Her last hope upon going to sleep, that she could remember anyway, was that Ryan would still be there in the morning. It seemed that would always be too much to ask. She tried to rise, and suffered through the half-second of time where her body seemed keen to not listen to her at all before finally sitting up. Perhaps she had had too much to drink last night after all.

Once she was upright, she leaned back against the bare wall her bed was pressed against and prepared to wait out the effects of her hangover, giving silent curse to Ryan for several reasons beyond just leaving her to suffer through it alone. _He_ never seemed to have a problem after drinking. He had explained to her that apparently humans experienced hangovers differently to monsters, but he still barely ever seemed fazed by it. Or perhaps he was simply very good at making a few drinks look like a lot. Regardless, either way it infuriated her.

She had been hoping to spend just a little more time pretending the rest of the world did not exist with him before the weight of it came crashing back down on her, but it did not seem like she would get the chance. Sallie kept finding herself glancing at the door, hoping Ryan would come back, but the rational part of her mind knew it would not happen. With nothing else to distract her, her thoughts went back to the previous two days. She still did not think things could have gone worse. Not only did they not even get to exercise the main reason they came here in the first place, now almost all of their lives were threatened! Well, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration. It was really only everyone who went to the castle, though she doubted that if any of them were to be arrested that the others would not attempt to break them out, as reckless as that was. Thus rendering them as good as imprisoned as well.

The idea of any of them being arrested felt far too real for her tastes, and denial of that idea far too out of reach. She tried to push the worry and fear she felt as she thought of that to the back of her mind. No, that was not going to happen! None of them were going to be thrown in jail! They would think of a plan, they had to. Sallie replayed yesterday's visit to the castle in her head and groaned. How on earth could they get themselves out of this mess?

Sallie noticed the piece of paper resting on Ryan's pillow for the first time just then. She stretched her hand out to grab it and grew frustrated that her body still did not respond right away. As soon as she could, she unfolded it and began to read.

_Since you seemed so resolute on leaving the city in spite of the risks, I'll be waiting in the park. I figure that will avoid any unnecessary complications I could cause to whatever you have cooked up._

_-Ryan_

Cooked up? What was he talking about? Had she come up with some sort of plan last night and not remembered? If she had, then that would just be the icing on the cake to this wonderful morning. She tried to wrack her mind for answers.

_The two of them had chosen a bar a few streets over from the barracks. Her main concern at the time was that one of their friends would come and interrupt them, but now she sort of wished they would. If they genuinely had the nerve to think they could disturb them she would give them a piece of her mind too! No, she had had enough anger for today; she had to remember she was there to have fun._

_She and Ryan sat at the corner of the bar. The place was full, as much as any other, and the din of the other monsters made for some semblance of privacy, so she had no qualms against explaining what had happened in the castle that day while out in public. She probably would have ranted away regardless of anyone listening or not, if she were honest with herself. Okay, maybe she was not entirely done with being mad yet, but she had every right to be!_

_Ryan took it all in with a flat expression, though she was certain he must have been just as angry as she was about what had happened. She just wished he would show a little bit of emotion so she could be sure. God he was handsome though. He might hate the length his hair had gotten to, but she thought it suited him. If only he did more with it than just let it sit on top of his head. A little styling and people would think he was royalty, especially with those dress shirts he liked to wear so much... She found herself undressing him with her eyes and made herself stop. There would be time enough for that later._

" _So, as you can tell, Undyne made quite a mess of things." Sallie finished her story as she polished off the rest of her drink. The man simply nodded in response. Nodded! His reactions were insufferable sometimes. She bit back the desire to punch him and instead signaled the bartender for another round. "You know what?" She went on. "I don't even care, really. There's nothing he can do to us. If he thinks he can get somebody to try to stop Undyne from doing whatever she wants, he has another thing coming. I bet we could just waltz out of the city tomorrow and he would just have to stand there and sputter."_

_That got the man to smile. "Oh really?" He said doubtfully. "You certain of that?"_

" _Positive!" she enforced. "I bet they'd be too scared to follow us back to Snowdin either."_

_The man laughed. "You know what? That might just be crazy enough to work… Hey, don't give me that look. I'm serious!"_

_Sallie realized she was scowling at him, if only because she could not tell whether he was making fun of her of not. That time, she deemed to not hold back from smacking him, which earned more laughter from him. Absolutely insufferable!_

Sallie frowned as her thoughts came back to the present. She almost dismissed the idea outright as drunken foolishness, but she began to weigh it in her head. She had been right, in a way. She could not think of a single monster that would be willing to stand up to Undyne, but would that really be enough to get them out of the city without any repercussions? She highly doubted it. Still, it was a start, and she hardly needed to come up with the rest on her own. Standing up, she found that she was finally back to normal, and after throwing on some clothes, she left to find her friends. Hopefully they would be in a better mood than her.

Ruby's room was closest to her's, just across the hall, but she opened the door only to find the room empty. She went a bit further down to the room that Papyrus, MK and Snowy shared. Thankfully that was not empty, but it may as well have been. The three monsters were sitting on their beds, Snowy having made a comfortable looking nest out of the blankets on his, and were staring off into space.

Having known them long enough, she found nothing out of the ordinary with that fact. "Good, you're awake." She said, ignoring their present state. "Start getting ready, guys. We're probably gonna be out of here in a few hours." She realized, halfway through her words, that they still did not know about what happened yesterday. They had disappeared to their room before she had even gotten back last night, and so she bit back the part about leaving before anything happening.

The three other monsters looked up at her slowly. They appeared surprised that she was even there. "What?" MK said groggily, squinting trying to focus on her. Had they really just ignored her? Although, now that she got a closer look, they all seemed exhausted. Did they sleep at all last night? Actually, she realized she had no idea what they had done yesterday either. Surely it could not have been anything too onerous.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked.

Papyrus stood up in response to her words, almost jerkily. "Of course," he said. Did he sound… anxious? "Fit as a fiddle."

Sallie definitely did not buy it. "What did you guys do yesterday?" The skeleton looked like he was surprised she had asked that question.

"Nothing," Snowy said from his nest of a bed. Of the three of them, he had moved the least since she had come in. "We didn't do anything."

His tone told Sallie she was not going to get anymore from the monster. It was the same he would use whenever his mother was brought up. Immediately, she knew not to pry. She would ask again later, after they had made it back home. Perhaps then he would be more comfortable. She could not help but being worried about them, though. "Well, make sure all of your stuff is packed." She went on, letting the matter lie for the moment. "We'll be heading out soon."

She left it at that, closing the door behind her as she departed. Going to Whimsalot's and Froggit's room, she was met with much the same reaction and her worry deepened, but it would have to be dealt with later.

Sallie went directly to Ayame's room after that. Around a corner and down another hall, she was the furthest from the rest of them – to not have to deal with the noise, she had said. As she entered the room, she was happy to find not only the Astigmatism, but everyone else she had been hoping to catch as well. Ayame herself sat on her bed, her eyes to the floor. Undyne was leaning against the far wall; she had straightened when the door opened before realizing it was Sallie and resuming her previous stance. Ruby and Alphys sat at the table on the side of the room opposite from the other two. Alphys looked up at Sallie with a mixture of fear and concern; she rung her hands on top of her lap without seeming to realize it. Ruby was staring off in a similar way that the others had been; she looked just as exhausted too.

"You almost got your face kicked in." Undyne said blandly, crossing her arms before her and looking Sallie up and down like she still had not decided whether or not she was a threat.

Sallie ignored the monster, instead sitting next to Ayame on the bed. She wrapped an arm around the monster. "Nervous?" she asked.

At least _she_ answered like she was paying attention. "I have the captain of the Royal Guard to protect me and almost all of my friends are here now. Why would I be nervous?" she said sarcastically.

"She was worried someone would try to steal her away in the middle of the night." Undyne added.

"Hey, if you think he's somehow above that, then I have some news for you. He's done it before, and not just to me." Ayame snapped at the other monster.

"I didn't say I didn't believe you." Undyne assured her. "Otherwise I wouldn't be here."

"We all shouldn't be here." Alphys blurted her eyes darted around the room as she spoke, as if she were seeing something the rest of them could not. "We should have left yesterday. Now I don't know if we even _can_ get out. I've been trying to think of something all night, but there's too much room for error, too much risk…" she trailed off, pushing her glasses up her long nose and mumbling to herself.

"We _are_ leaving today, and we will all be just fine." Sallie told them. The three monsters looked at her in surprise. Ruby continued to look half asleep.

Undyne chuckled softly. "You sound pretty sure of yourself."

"I am," she maintained. "A thought occurred to me last night." She explained to them her plan and the reasoning behind it, leaving out the part where she had not been entirely in her right mind at the time.

"What monster in their right mind would try to stand against you, Undyne?" Alphys asked once Sallie had finished.

"None short of the king, if they were smart." The monster stated. There was no gloating behind it, just a simple fact.

"There's no way he'd go that far." Ayame added, she sounded less worried already. Likely she had picked up on Sallie's train of thought. "No way would he go to the king about this. The Royal advisor calling on Asgore because he can't control his own daughter? His reputation would be ruined in an instant."

Sallie nodded. "Exactly. There's nothing we have to worry about when you think about it. He has no power if he can't enforce it. What monster could he possibly call upon that would actually try to arrest Undyne?"

"That would be me." An unfamiliar voice said from the doorway. She turned to see a green-scaled monster with horns curling over his head looking down at her with a smirk. He wore plain cream-colored robes open at the front to reveal dark wool pants tied off at the ankle and a bare chest that he crossed his arms over as he leaned casually against the doorframe.

Undyne was a between the bed and the newcomer in an instant. Sallie thought she saw a spark of blue light form in Undyne's hand as she pulled Ayame closer. "What do you want, Karim?" She asked frostily.

The monster chuckled. It was like the sound of a boulder being pushed along the ground. Puffs of smoke came out of his nose with each breath. "Councilman Hiroshi called," he began. "He said that I was tasked with bringing a certain Astigmatism that was staying here to him, and that I was to arrest anyone who got in my way. He also said that was to tell you you've been demoted, Undyne, and that I'm supposed to be the new captain." The monster sounded like all of this was very amusing. Sallie decided she did not like him.

Undyne tensed further, if such a thing were possible. "Over my dead body!" She snapped, taking a step forward and looking ready to start swinging punches at any moment.

The other monster, Karim, raised a hand forestall her. "I'm just telling you what he said to me." He clarified. "I never said I was actually going to follow through with any of it." Undyne seemed to lower her guard slightly, and the monster went on. "When the Councilman finally got finished talking about his rogue daughter and what had supposedly happened in his office yesterday, I first rejected the captaincy, telling him I did not – nor ever would – want it. I also told him that anyone else he tried to force it upon would say the same or else they wouldn't last a month." The monster flashed Undyne a grin. "You'll always be our captain. Not even the king can take that away from you."

The other warrior nodded in agreement. "And don't you ever forget it."

Karim went on as if she had not spoken. "Next, I told him that since his daughter is an adult and can make her own decisions, and was also not guilty of any crimes, that I had no right to bring her anywhere against her will. And, since he had no witnesses to corroborate the story that he was threatened, I see no reason to arrest anyone else. After all, I know my captain, and she would never do anything like that." Another smirk. "And then he said something about his word being the king's word, but I hung up on him before he could finish so I'm not sure."

Ayame started to laugh, almost hysterically, and then said, "Is everyone in the guard nuts?"

"As much as the Councilman likes to believe it, he is not the king." Karim told her. "I think it's high time he learned that lesson."

"You're still taking a pretty big risk like this. Why?" Undyne questioned.

Karim was all seriousness now. He stared Undyne in the eye flatly. "I think that human you found is the greatest hope we've had in a long time." He said. "And I hope he turns out to be someone who will fight for us in truth just as much as you. Plus, I think this pays off more than one of the old debts between us."

Undyne then relaxed completely. "I'll think about it." She told the other monster. "So, what do you plan to do then?"

The monster shrugged. "See you off?" He then turned his attention to Sallie. "Where is the human anyway? I'd like to speak with him one more time before you leave."

Sallie glared up at him. She still did not trust this monster. How did he know Ryan was a human, and why had he not ratted him out if that were the case? She almost asked him just that, but decided to stay silent instead. No need to push luck any further.

"He left already?" Undyne guessed and Sallie wished she had not.

Seeing no reason to deny her friend answer, she reluctantly nodded. "He said he'd be waiting in the park." She added after another moment.

Undyne swung her head back to Karim. "Then I guess we should start getting ready."

"I'll make sure everyone else knows." Alphys said as she leapt from her chair to the floor and practically sprinted out of the room. She looked happy to have an excuse to be away from all of the tension.

Sallie noticed that Ruby had not even moved during all of this. The monster's eyes hung half open, like she was fighting sleep. She turned back to Ayame, who nodded in response to her look of concern, before getting up and going over to the fire monster. "You still with us?" she asked humorously.

The other monster jumped as if startled. The fire that made up her body flared up for a moment, turning a lighter shade of green before going back to normal. "Yeah," she started after she settled. "I just… didn't get much sleep last night."

"Did you go with Papyrus and the others yesterday?" She asked and the fire monster nodded after a second. "Where did you guys go anyway?"

Ruby shook her head. "Nowhere," she said softly. Sallie frowned but decided once again not to pry.

A little less than an hour later, they were all gathered in the lobby ready to go. Those who had seemed like dead monsters walking before seemed a bit more alert now, but most still seemed pretty off. Sallie hoped once more that nothing would happen while they were leaving, or else they would not be much help. Undyne gave them each a smack on the back of the head when she saw how they were behaving and that seemed to do the rest of the job of waking them up.

Soon they were out. They filed into the street and quickly joined the morning crowd. Those who had reason to be worried were glancing over the city and down every alley like they were expecting someone to jump out at them, and Sallie was no exception. Karim was the only one who knew everything and still looked at ease, but if Sallie knew anything about the guardsman, she knew that he was probably just as ready to spring into action as the rest of them. Even Whimsalot and Froggit were capable of a few surprises.

They made it down perhaps one street before the worst happened. "Hey!" a voice shouted behind them. "Like, hold on for a sec." Sallie picked up the sound of armor plates clicking together a moment later. She looked to her friends; they appeared to be in the same debate as her as to whether or not to run for it or stand their ground, but then something clicked in her head. She recognized that voice.

Undyne turned to face those who had called to them, clearly she had made her decision, but Sallie walked in front of her before the warrior could say a word or anyone else could do anything. She walked up to the figure that she knew had called out to them and glared up at him. "What are _you_ doing here?" she said sternly.

The figure, almost two feet taller than her encased in his black, guardsman armor, jumped back at her words as much as by her presence. The long, blonde rabbit ears that stuck out of the top of his helmet twitched as he seemed to realize that she was real and not a figment of his imagination. "Sis?" he asked incredulously. "Why are you here?"

"I asked first, numbskull." Sallie shot back at him. Her brother, older than her by little more than a year, had a reputation for being dense and she was in no mood to let him get away with it that morning. Especially after not having seen him for so long, and especially if he's here for the reason she suspected he was.

The towering monster took another step back. "I-I was restationed here after…" he spilled out awkwardly before words failed him all together and he tried to take a breath. So, he thought she would give him a moment to settle himself, did he?

"That's not what I meant." She interrupted. "I mean, why are you here _now_? And why were you just shouting at us? And don't try to tell me it was just because you thought you saw your dear younger sister in this mob.

The monster stood with his mouth agape for a long moment, which satisfied her a good deal. It was good to know her skills at catching people off balance had not left her and it was just Ryan they never seemed to work on anymore. She heard Ayame chuckle behind her, which was also satisfying. Finally, her brother seemed to regain the ability to speak. "I, uh, I got orders from the castle, you know? That I should be, like, on the lookout for an Astigmatism, and that if I found her, I was supposed to, like, bring her there; to the castle. And that's her back there, so-"

"Have you now?" Sallie cut off his rambling. "What else were you told exactly?"

"T-that if anyone tried to interfere to arrest them?" He continued to stammer. He actually had the gall to smile at her as he finished, guardsman doing his duty indeed.

"And are you going to try that?" Sallie could hear her friends gathering behind her. Her brother then finally seemed to realize just who it was that was with the Astigmatism. Undyne stepped up next to her and glared at the monster just as hard as Sallie was.

The rabbit snapped to attention immediately. "Sir, what are you doing here?"

Undyne put a hand on Sallie's shoulder and gave her a quick glance that said she thought she was doing a good job before turning back to her soldier. "Telling you that your orders are hereby belayed." she informed him.

The monster's mouth continued to work for another moment without any sound coming out. A hand came to rest on his shoulder and another figure, just as tall, stepped up from behind him. This monster had horns sticking up out of the top his head and green scales covered the parts of his face that were visible. "Is there a problem, 01?" he asked in a soft but deep voice.

Karim then stepped up to stand at Sallie's other side. He crossed his arms over his bared chest again as he looked up at the pair. "I don't know," he said, "is there?"

The new monster jumped back at the monster's words. "D-dad?"

"I trust you two are staying out of trouble." Karim went on. It was not a question.

"Dude, I have no idea what's going on anymore…" Sallie's brother whispered to the monster at his side.

"Then allow us to enlighten you." Karim began.

Undyne and Sallie explained to them the whole situation as best they could, leaving out any parts that incriminated them of course. As it turned out, they had been given far less information than Karim had been given when they were told to capture Ayame. Likely in an attempt to not have a repeat of what happened with him. When they were finished, they stepped back to talk amongst themselves Sallie, Undyne and Karim gathered together as well. The rest of the group filed in a moment later. They had hung back up until then, ready for anything.

"I'm worried they might try something anyway." Undyne thought aloud. "Those two have a history of poor decision making, even if they do mean well."

"He won't do anything." Sallie said adamantly. "He has more sense than that." Karim nodded in agreement.

Undyne looked down at her curiously. "Are all you rabbits related?" she asked. Sallie glared up at her for a moment before Ruby joined in.

"Is that really what happened yesterday?" She looked far too worried for what she had just heard. It made Sallie wonder what her reaction would have been if she were to know the whole story. She would tell her, eventually, but not now; not until they were out of the city. It was good to know that that thought no longer felt like such an impossibility. Sallie simply nodded for the moment and the fire monster suddenly looked angry. "I knew I should have gone with you." She said quietly.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't really think that would have helped." Undyne said as an attempt to reassure her. Safe to say it did not work.

"Still…" The monster mumbled.

"I knew you guys would somehow manage to get yourselves into trouble." Whimsalot commented.

Sallie shot him a look. "And just what did you do yesterday?" The small monster cleared his throat and flew off without another word.

"We should just run while they're distracted." Ayame suggested. The Astigmatism looked ready to bolt regardless of how anyone answered. Luckily she was still pressed in the middle of them.

The other two monsters walked back over before Sallie could say anything to dissuade her worry.

"I don't like this," her brother said, "but it's not like we can go against the captain. Are you sure this won't come back to bite us?"

"You have my word." Karim assured them and they both nodded.

"So, what _are_ you doing here sis?" Her brother went on, turning back to her now that the matter was settled.

"Leaving," she told him crossly. It should not have taken him that long to make the right choice. "Is that really thing only thing you're going ask me after I haven't seen you for so long?"

The monster let out a breath. "Sorry… Life's been…" he glanced at the other armored monster next to him, "pretty crazy lately."

Sallie looked away and could not help but smile. She was glad to see her brother again regardless of the circumstance. "That it has…" she agreed before walking up and hugging him. "We miss you at home, you know? You could at least come and visit sometimes."

A tap on her arm broke them up. "I hate to interrupt, but we should still be on our way." Undyne said.

"Do you mind if we come with?" Her brother asked. "I'd rather have an excuse for why I'm disobeying orders at least until you're out of the city. Then we'll just say we never saw you." He smiled down at Sallie.

"I don't see why not." She agreed.

They all walked together in relative silence. Sallie and her brother walked near the back. His companion seemed to be getting lectured by Karim. She had trouble believing that that giant could be his son. Ayame stuck close to Undyne near the front and everyone else seemed to finally be completely back from whatever occupied their minds that morning.

Her brother nudged after about a minute. "Um… this isn't the way out of the city…" he stated quietly.

"We have one more to pick up in the park before we leave." She explained. He seemed to accept that without further question.

"So, I heard you have a kid now." He said next.

"What?" Sallie shouted as she rounded on him. More than one head turned in response to her outburst. She waved them off before she kept walking. "Who told you that?"

Unsure of what he had done wrong, the big monster swallowed. "I ran into bro awhile back. He said that you had met someone and that he had met him, and that apparently things had gotten pretty serious."

"Well I can assure that you are not an uncle." Sallie stated. She had not seen her other brother for a long time either, ever since he ran into the house one day saying he had figured out how to follow his dreams, whatever that meant that week. But how would he have known about Ryan? She supposed her mom must have found some way to keep in touch with him.

"So, which one's the lucky monster?" Her brother asked while she was thinking.

"What?" She asked.

He gestured with his head towards the rest of the group. "Which one did you fall for?" He clarified. "You didn't come here without him, did you? That'd be pretty uncool."

"He's the one we're meeting in the park." Sallie told him.

"Would I recognize him?"

"Probably not…"

"Well, I can't wait to meet him then."

Sallie shook her head to clear it. "Enough about me. How have things been with you?"

Her brother shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably. He never did like talking about himself. Sallie remembered the day when he told them he wanted to join the guard. It had been a surprise to all of them, even their mom who thought she knew everything about her children, especially what they did not tell her. "Oh, you know," he started, "normal guard stuff. New assignments, new partner. Still getting used to the city life."

"Is that your new partner?" Sallie asked pointing to the armored giant next to Karim. She had no doubt that it was, she was simply trying to make conversation.

"Uh, yeah… That's him." He said, a little too awkwardly. And, like the good sister she was, Sallie latched onto that piece of information.

"You're hiding something." She stated, planting herself in front of him. They were close enough to the park that she could see the tops of trees over some of the buildings, so she was not afraid of getting separated from the rest and lost.

"W-what? I'm not-" he stammered, but Sallie would have none of it.

"You are. Out with it. Did he do something? Did _you_ do something?"

The other monster struggled to form words worse than Alphys. "Y-yes, no… Wait, I-I don't…" he then took another breath before restarting. "We're dating." He said awkwardly. Sallie's ears shot up in surprise. Her face split into a grin. "Karim and the rest of the guard don't know yet." He jumped in before she could say anything. "We're afraid they'll reassign both of us if they learn."

Sallie could barely contain her joy. She ran up and wrapped her arms around her older brother again. "I'm so happy for you." She told him. "And don't worry. You're secret's safe with me."

"Thanks, sis… Don't tell mom either, would you?"

Sallie raised her head to glare at him again. "And why the hell would I not? Is that why you haven't been home in forever?"

"Not really… I'm just afraid she'll chase him off." He said, staring at his partner's back in front of them. "I want to make sure I'll never lose him first."

"Aw, you're so cute." Sallie said to him.

"Sis?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

A loud bang cut off her retort, and Sallie turned towards the direction of the noise. It had come from near the park. The crowd around her froze in response to the noise, eyes scanned for the source, but there was nothing to see. The next instant, her brother shoved past her, towards the direction she was sure the noise had come from, and she found herself following after him. One thought kept springing to her mind, and not matter how many times she dismissed it as ridiculous it kept coming back. Somehow, she knew that the bang could only mean one thing: Ryan was in trouble.

 

As Ryan flew through the air, he could almost feel reality crashing down on him, and it infuriated him. As trees soared by overhead, he thought about this trip and what Sallie had told him its true purpose had been. When she had told him that, he had realized just how much he had been holding himself back out of fear, fear that the moment he let himself settle it would all just come crashing down around him as it had before. But, after so long with nothing happening, Sallie's words made him feel a fool, and he had decided he had had enough. When they had gone out last night, he let himself have genuine fun for the first time in what felt like forever.

And, like clockwork, just as he was beginning to think the world would let him be at last, it shows him that he will never be allowed a moment's peace. He was getting sick of that. The air streaming past his ears seemed to mock him, which worked to drive his anger further.

Some distant part of him registered hitting something, hard, and he found himself in darkness. The pain was gone in a moment as his determination took hold. Fine, he thought, if the world wanted to dash his plans against the stones, so be it. If the robot wanted a fight, he would have one. And if Ryan wanted to have some fun, he would have it, even if it exposed him to every monster in the Underground, even if it jeopardized everything he had set in motion so far. He hardly cared anymore either way.

He lifted his head to find himself in a hole. Chucks of silhouetted stone fell to ground as he tried to get his bearings. Monsters were looking in at him, he realized. He recognized none of them; he hardly saw them in his current mood. Looks of curiosity and fear coated their faces. They were saying something to him, but he could not tell what over the ringing in his ears. Almost as soon as he had the thought, though, his power restored sound to him, and voices met him in a rush.

"What happened?"

"Are you okay?" Worry filled their questions, but none tried to reach in to help him. Cautious glances at the stone above them answered why. Ryan tried to wave off their worry but found that he could not move yet. It seemed his body would need another moment.

And then another voice came, shouting at the monsters in the opening to get back, before a familiar shadow filled the hole. Undyne pulled Ryan out with a grimace on her face. "Can't leave you alone for a second, can I?" she said, once he was free. The monster did not sound happy. Ryan was happy though, or at least glad to find he could stand on his own feet.

He looked back to where he had crashed. There was a decent sized hole in the stone of corner of a building. He must have been thrown out of the park, he gathered. That must have been some kick.

Undyne pulled his attention back to her by smacking him on the head. "What happened?" She asked, and unlike the rest of the crowd that was growing steadily and murmuring amongst themselves now that the captain of the Royal Guard was there, she could not be denied an answer. He noticed the crowd now nearly filled the intersection and began to clog the roads behind them. A few monsters even circled overhead in curiosity. This would make things complicated. The rest of his friends and then some surrounded him after a second as they pushed their way through the growing crowd, all of their faces held the same question as Undyne mixed with their own varying level of worry. His eyes locked with Sallie's as he found her. She looked the worst off out of all of them. A large monster in plate armor stood at her shoulder that he thought he recognized. He wanted to tell them all that he was fine, that there was nothing to worry about, but he did not get the chance as he saw Mettaton emerge from the trees at the edge of the park.

"I'll tell you what happened." The monster said loud enough to be heard up and down the street. He posed dramatically, fists on hips and legs spread wide, head held high so he stared down his nose at everyone. Heads turned to him, and the murmur of the crowd changed note. Several monsters cheered, other's breathed his name or shouted in admiration. Mettaton pointed through the group of his friends, straight at Ryan. The gesture brought the crowd to silence "The human has been discovered, and he can hide no longer."

Hundreds of heads turned to Ryan in an instant. The noise of the crowd was mixed as it picked back up again. Many were nervous. Could it be true? Could he really be a human? Others were excited and they assuaged the fears of those around them. No, don't you remember? We're finally getting to see the next part, and we get to see it live! Those words quickly spread through the throng until all were in agreement that that was what it was. He had been hoping that would be the case. To them, the robot's presence could only mean one thing: they were about to see a show.

His friends turned toward the monster. They stepped up to form a wall between them. Ryan smirked. A part of him wished they were not here for this, but perhaps they would get a kick out of it too, once they realized the monster was not serious. "Don't worry, Ryan." Whimsalot said as he flew next to him. "I don't know what's going on, but we'll make sure this doesn't end badly."

"I should have known something like this would happen…" Alphys added. The doctor stood to the back nervously, but she looked just as ready to protect him from the robot as the rest of them.

Undyne stepped to the front of the group. Her hand extended out to her side as blue sparks arced between her fingers. Two other figures in full armor stepped up to her flanks. One was the monster that had stood behind Sallie. Now that they were together, he recognized them as the guardsmen he had fought over Hotland. What were they doing there? "You've gone too far this time, Mettaton!" Undyne shouted. She looked ready to run the monster through. Ryan pushed through his friends put a hand on her shoulder to forestall her. She looked back at him, puzzled. He said nothing; instead he stepped in front of her so that he stood before Mettaton once more. He glanced out to the crowd again. Their anticipation was palpable. They expected a show, and he would make sure they got one. With a thought, he dropped the illusion hiding his soul. The crowd gasped, his friends did as well. The robot smiled.

"See? He doesn't even try to run!" Mettaton shouted. "He knows it is useless."

Ryan shrugged off the monster's words. "I wouldn't say that." He told the monster casually but loud enough that the crowd could hear him as well. "You simply caught me at a good point. I happen to have some time to kill." The gathered monsters ate at his challenge, their buzzing voices growing louder. The smile was wiped off of Mettaton's face for a moment as well. He might be willing to play the robot's game, but he was not going to just let him win without having to work for it.

Several of his friends raised complaints behind him, he tried to drown them out. A hand touched his arm.

"Ryan, what are you doing?" He heard Sallie say behind him.

He turned to her and said with a flourish, "What you told me to do: I'm having some fun." The words did not seem to reassure the monster. No matter, she would see what he meant soon enough. "Undyne," he said to the guardswoman, serious once more "don't try to stop this."

The monster looked surprised he had spoken to her. Likely she had been running disaster control in her mind. For a moment she looked ready to deny that request, but then she smirked. "Fine, but if anyone gets hurt there's going to be hell to pay."

Ryan returned her grin with one of his own. It seemed that at least she understood what was going on. "Then you better make sure nobody gets hurt." He told her. "I'm gonna be a bit busy."

Turning back to the robot – he had not moved an inch as all this went on – he took a step towards him. The mass of monsters reacted immediately, moving back and away from them until nearly the whole of the intersection was clear. He heard Undyne shouting to get people moving as well.

"Shall we?" Mettaton asked.

Ryan let energy fill him to the brim. "Let's dance."

 

Sallie stood frozen while the world seemed to shift beyond her control. All around, monsters were washing over her, trying to get away from the pair standing in the middle of the street staring each other down. A hand pulled her back, she looked over her shoulder to see Undyne shouting something at the crowd, but it all sounded drowned out. She turned back to the street, back to Ryan. He just stood there, staring at Mettaton with that half smirk of his. For all purposes the picturesque version of himself, yet to her he looked like a different person altogether.

Why? She questioned. Why was he doing this?

It was her fault, for trying to push him down a path he did not want to go, wasn't it? But could it really cause him to jeopardize everything like this? He looked happy, happier than she had seen him in a long time. Could that really be it?

Ruby was in front of her a second later, pulling her eyes away from the scene. "Sallie?" she asked.

"What is he doing?" was all she could manage to say in return.

The fire monster glanced over her shoulder. When she looked back, she was much more somber. "I don't know." She answered.

"I imagine he thinks he's settling a debt." Alphys said as she appeared next to them. The monster seemed strangely calm given the situation. Sallie would have even said she looked slightly irritated. "I wish they had decided some other way to do it though. But, Mettaton always was one for drama." The doctor put a hand on Sallie's arm. "Don't worry, Sallie. He's not giving himself up. Everyone will think this is just a show, remember?"

Sallie nodded slowly as she recalled Ryan's stories of monsters thinking he was an actor and wanting his autograph. It did not make her feel that much better, but at least it answered the question of why this was happening. It was a poor answer, she thought, but as much as she wanted put a stop to it, that was not something she could do alone.

"Sis? Please tell me that's not your boyfriend." Her brother said as he appeared behind her. His partner stood beside him. The two of them looked ready to charge into the street at the first sign of trouble. "I don't know what's going on, but that really is a human," he went on. "We fought him once, near the core, but he got away. I don't think the crowd knows it yet. We need to stop this before it gets bad."

"Nobody's going anywhere." Undyne said as she rejoined them. She looked to her two soldiers. "I already called off the hunt for him, remember? Or are you questioning my orders again?"

"No sir," the two armored giants said quickly.

"Good. Listen up!" The rest of their group gathered around now. Snowy flew up and perched on Sallie's shoulder, looking as worried as her if not as scared. MK ran between everyone's legs, excited as always. Whimsalot and Froggit both seemed oddly serious. Papyrus looked like nothing out of the ordinary was going on. In fact, neither did Undyne. "Ryan said he doesn't want anyone to interfere, and I'm inclined to grant that at the moment. Now, as far as I understand, everyone here thinks they're about to put on some kind of performance, which means we shouldn't have to worry about anything serious happening. That robot isn't dumb enough to put all of these monsters in danger, is he?" The question was directed at Alphys, who shook her head. Undyne nodded. "In that case, we'll enjoy the show just like everyone else, understand?"

Everyone seemed to accept that, albeit grudgingly in a few cases. Sallie refused outright. This was all so wrong, how could they just let it happen? If they wanted to fight to settle some dispute there was a thousand other ways they could do it than this! Undyne came close to her, her expression softened considerably, but still held her resolution. "Everything's going to be fine." She told her.

Sallie acted like the guardswoman had not spoken. "We need to stop this." She breathed.

"Nah," Undyne said next, resting an elbow on her head as she turned back to the action. "I'm sure he can handle this."

"But-"

"But nothing! I'm not in charge of making sure he doesn't do anything stupid. If they want to fight, I say let them fight."

"I'm worried about him." Sallie told her. She pushed the other monster's arm off her head.

Undyne actually laughed. "Who, Ryan? He'll be fine." Her eye then lit up. "That's right! You haven't actually seen him fight yet, have you?" Sallie shook her head. "Oh, you're in for a treat."

"But-" Sallie began again.

"Ryan getting hurt is the least thing you have to worry about." Snowy said from her shoulder. "I'd be more worried about Mettaton on that matter."

"Likely the robot has no idea what he's gotten himself into." Whimsalot added as he flew next to her.

"So all of you are okay with just letting this happen?" Sallie questioned.

Whimsalot shrugged. "It's what he wants, plus I'm curious to see how he fights. My guess, he holds back… fifty percent. Froggit, what do you think?"

"Something's happening, ribbit." The frog monster said from below them. He was looking up at the sky and Sallie followed his gaze. Black shapes swirled in from over their heads to orbit around the street where Ryan and Mettaton stood, followed by large screens that powered on as they settled into place floating in the air. They showed an aerial version of the scene. A cheer ran through the crowd and Sallie finally registered just how large it had gotten. There must have been thousands gathered in the streets to make so much noise. As the cameras focused in on Mettaton's face, he started to speak.

"Oh, so confident! You truly believe that you can make it past the king, don't you?" The robots voice was loud enough that it sounded like he was standing right next to her. It echoed up and down the street, carried by magic so that all watching could hear. "Listen darling, I've analyzed all of the footage from when you were running through the core, I've seen you fight. You're weak. If you continue forward, Asgore will just take your soul. But, you know what I realized would be a million times better than that? Killing you myself. You see, the king, he'll use your soul to destroy humanity. But if I get your soul, I can stop Asgore's plan. I can save humanity from destruction. Then, using your soul, I'll cross through the barrier and become the star I've always dreamed of being. Hundreds, thousands, no millions of people will watch me! Glitz! Glamour! I'll finally have it all. So what if a few people have to die?" Mettaton spread his arms wide as he took a step forward. "That's show business, baby."

Ryan did nothing, just continued to stand there, still as a statue. If anything, his smirk widened. "Picked a bad place to do this, wouldn't you say?" she heard Ryan say after, his voice magnified in the same way Mettaton's was. "A lot of monsters, buildings; a lot of collateral damage."  
"On the contrary, I have you right where I want you. I was lucky to learn you were even here. I had given up the hope that you would ever come out of your hiding place so completely that I had stopped watching. But you couldn't stay forever, could you? You had to leave eventually in order to reach you goals. But you've only ended up running to your death." That the monster was trying to goad him was obvious, but Ryan did not bite. "Don't worry, human." The robot went on. "I'll be sure to make your last moments absolutely beautiful." He took a step forward, posing dramatically once more. "I've been waiting a long time to show off this new body. I've saved its premiere just for you."

Sallie heard Ryan chuckle softly. "Well then," he said. "Let's see what you've got."

A clang ringing through the air was the first thing that told her either of them had moved. She blinked before she realized Ryan was no longer standing in the spot he had been. Turning, she saw that he was now before Mettaton, the mist still fading from the sword in his hand. The robot had blocked the weapon with his forearm. The crowd let out a delayed gasp at the scene. It seemed she was not the only one unable to follow his movements. Even Mettaton looked surprised. "How did you…?" He began, but it was gone in an instant. "I see you've picked up a few things." The robot said arrogantly.

"Same goes to you." Ryan said back. "I believe last time the fight was already over at this point."

Mettaton brought up his foot to kick Ryan in the head, but Ryan pulled back. Switching his sword to his left hand, he reached into his pocket and tossed something into the air. His sword came up from below as he gripped it in both hands. Mettaton knocked it back as he brought his leg back down. The object Ryan threw into the air began to glow above them. As it fell, Ryan caught it in his left hand and brought his arm up to the robot's face. Mettaton brought his arm up just as a loud pop echoed through the street.

The scene paused and Sallie could see what Ryan was holding. It looked like a sideways L. Following where it pointed, Sallie caught sight of rippling wave of light that began just above the heads of the crowd further down the street and grew to pass over her, revealing an invisible bubble around the two fighters.

"Told him that would come in handy." Undyne said next to her.

"What is it?" Sallie asked.

The monster smiled down at her. "Something that should give him the advantage at a distance as well as close up." She turned her attention back to the fight. "So, he put up a shield, huh. That robot really doesn't know what he's gotten himself into."

"Your magic may have caught me off guard last time, but that won't work twice." Mettaton's confidence still showed through his synthesized voice strongly. "I've been training in secret since we last fought, becoming stronger. There is nothing you can surprise me with now."

"Is that so?" Ryan goaded.

Mettaton let out a bout of laughter. "It is hopeless, human. This is where your story ends, but at least try to put on a good show before you die."

"My thoughts exactly." Sallie squinted as arcs of lighting began to cascade down the length of Ryan's sword. He slashed at the monster's waist, but he jumped back. "You're not the only one who's been training." Ryan warned him.

The robot looked shaken for another instant, but then he smiled. "Well, it looks like this is starting to become interesting. What do you say we get this show started then?" Ryan let his sword vanish and bowed dramatically to the robot, earning a scowl from the monster that he had to bite back. "Lights, camera," he shouted dramatically, raising his hands into the air. Cubes of light began to appear around Ryan. As Sallie watched, the cubes seemed to divide themselves, gaining definition and changing in shape until they were spheres. Ryan made no move to do anything about them. "Action." Mettaton finished and the space around Ryan exploded.

The shield surrounding the street glowed with white light as it fought to contain the energy. The noise of the blast washed over the crowd. It took Sallie a moment to realize she was screaming. There was no way he could have survived that. She knew this had been the wrong choice. She felt like she was drowning. Why had he not done anything?

The smoke cleared and Sallie gasped as she saw Ryan standing exactly where he had been, seeming completely unfazed. She almost laughed; she would have if she still were not so afraid. "You're going to have to do better than that." Ryan egged the robot.

This time Mettaton smiled through his frustration. "Oh, I'm just warming up." He said tightly. Raising his hand, another bomb materialized above it. Out of the corner of her eye, Sallie saw Ryan move in response. He brought his weapon up and shot it again. A line of light flew towards the bomb in Mettaton's hand, hitting it. But instead of exploding, a larger line of light came back towards Ryan. It seemed to hit an invisible wall just before him, splitting off in multiple directions, gouging holes in the stone of the street and hitting the shield above their heads.

The crowd had gone silent, Sallie realized. Every monster seemed to be holding their breath, herself included. She looked around at her friends. They were the only ones who did not look as worried. "He's gotten stronger." Her brother said from behind her.

"No, he's gotten better." Undyne corrected.

"Still, to be able to block that? That was crazy fast."

"His resonance is the same as mine." Undyne explained. "Plus, he's always had the instincts, all he needed was practice. Now, it'd take a lot more than that robot to stop him. So, what do you think, Sallie?" The monster glanced at her. "Did I do a good job?"

Sallie did not answer. She turned back to the scene before her. Mettaton had his arm outstretched, wagging a finger at Ryan. "Did you really think I would be silly enough to use magic that I could hurt myself with? Please, darling, you still have much to learn."

"I've learned enough to beat you." Ryan stated calmly. He fired again, and Mettaton dodged to the side. Ryan's sword was back in his hand an instant later. He slashed it towards the monster and an arc of fire hurled itself down the street. The robot did nothing to stop it from hitting him, simply let it wash over him.

"That was foolish." He said. "Did you forget that I'm made of metal?" While the monster spoke, Ryan was before him again, moving even faster than before. Before Mettaton could react, his sword came up and sliced through his arm. The crowd gasped. Ryan spun with the follow though of his attack and then brought his sword back down through Mettaton's other arm. The monster staggered back as Ryan took up his stance once more.

"It's over." Ryan announced.

Mettaton looked shocked for only a moment. Sparks cascaded from where his arms had once been. His eyes darted between them and Ryan, and then he smiled. "Why? Just because I lost those arms?" Somehow the monster still managed to sound arrogant through his fear. "Who needs arms with legs like these?" He kicked one of his knee-high boots into the air. "I'm still going to win." Another bomb resolved itself in front of Ryan. As it burst, he jumped back. "The Show must go on." Mettaton announced. To Sallie's surprise, the crowd actually cheered in response.

This seemed to surprise Ryan as well. He looked to the monsters surrounding him with an expression that Sallie could not trace. The crowd's response seemed to help Mettaton regain some of his swagger. "Here's a question for you, human." The robot said as he strode closer to him. "How are you on the dance floor?"

All around Ryan, parts of the street began to open up with a whir of hidden mechanics. From them rose came up several clones of Mettaton's old, blocky body. The real Mettaton rose up on a platform so he was above the heads of everyone in the middle of the street. As he looked down at Ryan from on high, Sallie wondered just how many tricks and traps Mettaton had set up throughout the city if all of this was here. "Can you keep up the pace?" The monster asked.

Ryan frowned up at the monster as his clones closed in on him. Once more he aimed his weapon up at the monster. Before he could fire off a shot though, dozens of bombs materialized around him cutting of his chance at a clear shot. The robot let out a laugh. Ryan lowered his arm. In a flash of light, the weapon turned into a rectangle that he placed back into his pocket. Was that his phone?

Ryan turned his attention to the clones. They all came at him with chainsaws in hand, revving them over their heads. Ryan disposed of the first few with ease, but more quickly came out of the ground to replace them. What more, the clones that he destroyed exploded much the same as the bombs. Sallie felt herself jump with each blast. It was proving hard to convince herself that he would be fine with everything that was going on. Ryan only began to look annoyed.

"Have you realized it's futile yet, human? I must say, watching you struggle has been oh so inspiring. But it can only be me or you, and I think we both already know who's going to win." More clones came at Ryan and he disposed of them much the same as he did the rest: a single swipe of the sword and a shield to contain the resulting explosion. Mettaton gazed out over the crowd. "Will you just look at these ratings? This is the biggest audience I've ever had!" Cameras panned over the street, revealing to Sallie that the streets were full as far back as was possible. It looked like the entire city was watching.

Ryan hardly paid the robot any mind. His frustration only seemed to grow as he took out more of the clones. Finally, he changed tactics. Running the robots through, he tossed them back into the holes they emerged from. Sallie could see from the cameras swirling above them that their destruction caused whatever tunnel they were coming up from to collapse. Ryan then finished off the rest of them and turned his attention back to the real thing. Sallie had just enough time to question how he would make it past Mettaton's defenses before lightning erupted from his hand. The electricity collided with all of the bombs at once. What was he thinking?

Then Sallie's mouth dropped open as she watched the resulting explosion freeze solid as it hurtled toward Ryan. The ice formed a solid wall that filled the radius of the shielded off area. "How the…?" Snowy breathed from Sallie's shoulder. Ryan clenched his empty fist and the wall of ice shattered. The next instant he was at the foot of the monster's platform. His fist collided with the stone and it crumbled around him. Mettaton fell back to the ground, landing on one knee. He pulled his armless form up with a grimace.

"Things are really starting to blow up, wouldn't you say?"

Ryan's attempt at humor only seemed to anger the robot further. "Enough of this!" He shouted. "Do you really want humanity to perish? Or do you really believe in yourself that much?"

"I think it's time you embraced reality, Mettaton." Ryan told him. "You're not looking too good." Sallie realized he was right. Ryan was winning. A flush of excitement coursed through her. She even smiled. Ryan had handled everything the robot had thrown at him and barely seemed to break a sweat. Is that really how strong he had gotten?

"What is he doing?" Undyne said next to Sallie. "He needs to take a dive already so we can get this over with and get out of here." Her words crushed Sallie's excitement. Of course, she realized, this was supposed to be a show where monsters were able to overcome humans and come out on top. Ryan was not supposed to win, so what _was_ he doing?

"Likely, he's simply responding to Mettaton's actions." Alphys said. Being too short to see over the crowd, the monster's head was craned towards one of the screens above them. She looked considerate.

"What do you mean?" Undyne asked her.

"I mean, Mettaton certainly hasn't been treating this as an act. I know what he's capable of, and he hasn't pulled any punches."

"You mean he's actually trying to kill him?" Sallie questioned. "Why?"

"Why else? To become the hero of monsters. Ryan is still technically the last human soul we need to break the barrier. He's probably gone this far to try to scare him off, but I don't think it's going to work. Mettaton knows he's in the better position. There's nothing Ryan can do short of killing him to get him to stop and there's nothing he can do to stop Mettaton from trying to kill him."

"If that's the case, I don't think Ryan's realized that yet." Undyne commented.

"We have to do something!" Sallie yelled at them. The doctor shook her head. "It will only make things worse. There's only one way this can end. It's going to be tricky, but we have to just trust that Ryan can pull it off somehow."

Sallie wrapped her hands around her waist to try to stop herself from shaking. She hated how helpless she felt and prayed that this would all be over soon.

Mettaton let out a peel of laughter. "Are you really that dense?" He mocked. "Even if you do manage to beat me, you can't win. You'll still be a human, hated and feared by monsters; doomed to either run or be killed in this place. Or did you really think you could continue hiding down here forever? Did you really think monsters would accept you?"

The crowd roared their answer, a chorus of boos and rejection aimed at Ryan. The response did not surprise Sallie. Ryan had not even gotten to the point where he could start winning over the hearts of monsters. She hoped he realized this and did not let it get to him. But, as she looked to him, her hopes were dashed. Ryan's face was pale, his eyes wide with shock. Could he really have thought… or was this something else? Sallie watched Ryan's face turn from shock to anger, and then become more morose by the second. When he looked back up at Mettaton, the robot laughed even more at his expression. "Do you see now, human? All of your effort is pointless. Now, witness the true power of humanity's sta-"

The monster cut off abruptly. The crowd went silent as Ryan's sword tore through Mettaton's midsection. Pieces of metal and wires flew away in an arc. Sallie watched them careen away and bounce as they hit the ground. Then there was a dull thunk as the rest of the monster's body fell to the ground. His legs fell a second later as their power failed them. They fell towards Ryan who batted them aside without seeming to notice.

The world froze. No one dared move. It was as if what they had just seen was some shadowy predator looming over all of them and if they remained still it might still pass them by, proving only to be a figment of their imagination. The only sound came from Mettaton's scraped form as it sparked and clicked as parts of him were still unable to register that he was now in pieces. The monster, still awake by some means, looked up at Ryan with a pained twist to his mouth. The human seemed only to stare through him. His face was a mask that showed no emotion at all now. Sallie could not tell what he was thinking but she wished more than anything that she could.

"W-what are you d-doing?" The robot's voice skipped and became filled with static at he tried to speak. His voice still echoed up and down the street by whatever spell was amplifying it, which made it sound all the more horrible.

"You're right," Ryan said. His voice was soft, barely a whisper, but it was projected just as loudly as Mettaton's. "I did hope I'd be able to stay down here. I hoped, more than I ever dared to hope before in my life, that the happiness that I had found down here would not be fleeting. Even after I had rejected it, I hoped…" His jaw clenched, that mask shattering for just a moment to show sorrow that made Sallie want to weep herself. "I hoped that I could change things," he went on, "but you wouldn't know anything about that. If there's one thing I've learned in my time down here it's that change is a human thing. We bring it with us as surely as our own skin. Even though we hate it more often than not, it follows us like a shadow. And whenever we seek to cause change, it never happens the way we like. Such is life, I suppose…

"Monsters, on the other hand, they accept change almost as easily as anything else. But because of that, very little changes around them. It's strange, don't you think? And a little unfair. But, because of this, I thought I had a chance.

"You were right, though. There's only one way this can end, one true way, that is. And no matter how much I struggle, nothing will ever change that. I was an idiot to ever think I could. But, some things are different. Perhaps things will be more lenient this time around. 'So what if a few people have to die?' Right? After all, I'm only human."

"He's gone too far now!" Her brother practically growled behind her.

"What do you mean he's gone too far? Mettaton started this!" Sallie argued.

"Doesn't matter." He said flatly. His tone actually scared her a little. "He already took him down, but he doesn't look like he's gonna stop to me."

Sallie was about to argue, but as she looked back up to Ryan her words died in her throat. She watched as he approached the downed and injured monster. A sword reappeared in his hand as he kept walking. "Sorry, Mettaton," he said, "the hero doesn't always get to win."

"That's it! 02, we're putting a stop to this." There was gust of wind. Sallie looked behind her to see her brother and his partner were no longer there.

"Wait!" Undyne shouted, and then she punched her fist into her other hand when he realized they would not listen. "Damn it!"

"I think they have it right." Karim commented. "I'm beginning to have doubts about your human friend, Undyne."

Sallie could hear Undyne grind her teeth over the noise of the crowd. There was the clang of metal, and Sallie turned back to the street to see the two guardsmen standing between Ryan and Mettaton. The crowd cheered. "Remember us?" her brother asked.

"Get out of my way." Ryan said. His voice was ice. Sallie had never heard him sound like that before. It scared her. How could he not see that he was going too far?

"No," the other guard said obstinately. "It's over."

Ryan actually laughed. It sounded maniacal, or was that just her imagination. "It's not over yet," he said. "The big, bad human still stands. The hero lies defeated." Scorn leeched from his voice with every word. He then turned to the crowd. "All of the Underground is still in danger! Who will stop me?" He spun back to the guardsmen. "You? I'd like to see you try."

"Sallie?" Ayame said suddenly. "I hate to say this, but I think your boyfriend has gone crazy."

"If this is all still part of the act, it's getting really hard to tell." Snowy added. Sallie could feel him shaking on her shoulder.

"We should go," Karim reinforced to Undyne, "before this gets anymore out of hand."

Before the monster could give answer, Sallie's brother spoke up once more. "We've chased you off once, this time we will bring you down!"

Ryan was smiling, but Sallie saw nothing but sorrow in his eyes. "I seriously doubt that." he stated.

It was enough to goad her brother into action. A curved sword appeared in his hand. "Let's end this!" He shouted as his partner drew his weapon as well.

They charged at Ryan in perfect step-sync, falling into a rhythm that seemed second nature to them. Ryan made no movement of any kind. The warriors split off in opposite directions in the same instant and began to circle around their target. Ryan's eyes stayed locked on the spot they had been, as if they no longer existed.

When they were on opposite sides of him, the monsters charged in. Sallie's brother struck first, a downward cleave to the back of Ryan's neck. Sallie was certain the blow would land when the clang of metal rang out. Ryan blocked the strike at the last possible second, his own sword a mere fraction of an inch from his neck. But for that, he had not moved a muscle.

The other warrior was upon him less than a second later, a slash going for Ryan's stomach. Another sword appeared out of the air and he grabbed it with his free hand to block the strike just as he had the other.

The two monsters jumped back and took up defensive stances. Ryan simply lowered his arms, waiting. They came at him again. Ryan turned away their every attack without even needing to look at them. Her brother and his partner circled Ryan as they let out their flurry of blows and Sallie became unable to completely keep track of the intricacy of it. She instead watched Ryan move between them with a fluidity that made him look like he was dancing. Every action flowed into the next without any wasted movement. She found it mesmerizing. He seemed to her to have found some sort of serenity within that fight, one he wished to revel in for as long as possible.

"I've never seen him fight like that before." Whimsalot spoke up. He sounded almost like he was in awe. "He's not even using any spells against them."

As the bout went on, the crowd began to find its voice once more. They cheered the warriors on and screamed for Ryan's end. Sallie watched Ryan's found sense of calm erode as they roared. "So, that's it?" Ryan said once he could take no more.

Sallie watched him jump into the air. His swords vanished in a flash of light, and he spun down to punch her brother square in the side of the head. An instant later, he vanished. Where he was, fragments of stone and clouds of dust rose into the air. Ryan landed as the dust cleared and Sallie found her brother lying in a crater in the street, unmoving.

Ryan looked down at the fallen monster. "Behold the difference in strength between humans and monsters." He said it to no one in particular, but Sallie felt like he had said it directly to her, along with more hidden beneath. _See?_ A parody of his voice in her head mocked. _Didn't I warn you how everything could just fall apart?_

With a roar of his own, the other guardsmen charged at Ryan once more. The human caught the sword in his bare hand. "It's useless," he said to him. "The two of you stood no chance together. What can you hope to accomplish alone?"

The monster let go of the sword and it vanished in Ryan's grip. Another appeared in the monster's hand as he swung it out to his side. He brought his arm forward, but the sword cut only air. Ryan was suddenly behind him, standing as if he had always been in that spot. "So be it," he said.

He spun, landing a kick that knocked the monster into the air. He collided with a building with the same force her brother had been driven into the street. Once more the crowd had been effectively stunned into silence. Ryan glanced up at the building for a moment. When nothing emerged, he turned back to Mettaton's shattered form. He had watched the whole exchange between the three, and now the robot looked truly afraid.

Ryan took one step before a spear drove itself into the ground at his feet. "That's quite enough, I think." Karim's voice said. The monster still sounded like he was standing next to Sallie, but a quick glance revealed that he was no longer there. Neither was Undyne. Ryan turned in the direction the spear had come. Sallie followed his gaze.

The two monsters stood side by side in the street, each with weapon already in hand and looking more than ready to use it.

"Well," Ryan said, "isn't this fitting."

"I'm going to give you one last chance to come quietly." Karim went on. A tightness to his eyes the only thing betraying his composure. He leaned his halberd almost casually against his shoulder.

Ryan let out a breath. "We both know that's not going to happen." He told the monster.

Karim laughed, but there was no mirth in it. "You know, I had really thought you were different, but it seems you're just like every other human after all."

Ryan merely nodded. "I'm glad you finally realized that."

Undyne then stepped between them. Her armor clinked in the silence of the street as she moved. When had she even been able to put that on? "Will you snap out of it already?" The monster demanded. "Can't you see what you're doing? You're ruining your chance at everything you had hoped to do!"

Ryan shook his head. "I never had any chance of making that wish come true. I think a part of me always knew that, and I think you did too."

"You're wrong!" Undyne shouted. "I believe in you. Your friends all believe in you. It's time you started believing in yourself!"

Once more, Ryan laughed. "You have no idea what it is that I want. And I will not stop now." He told her. Resolve painted his face as a red mist began to pour off of him. "You once said to me that I stand in the way of every monster's hopes and dreams. Well, Undyne, now you're standing in the way of mine. And I'm done putting them aside for the sake of others. It's about time I started going to the lengths necessary to see them through. No more stepping around certain choices; no more searching for a different path. This is just the reality of things."

Swords appeared in Ryan's hands once more. His eyes dropped and they were hidden behind the shadow of his hair as he continued. "I am the fallen human." He said. "There is only three ways that story can end." He took a step forward, daring them to try something. "I will do everything in my power to make sure it's the right one." He finished.

Karim was on him a second later, spinning his weapon in a circle around himself. The crescent blade clanged against Ryan's sword and the monster jumped away from his return strike. Blue light rained down on Ryan as he fell back. The magically-crafted spears formed a forest around Ryan as he blocked them with his shield. A second later, they all shattered before a concussive gale hit Sallie and the crowd around them, nearly knocking several monsters off of their feet and nearly pulling Snowy off of her shoulder.

Both of the monsters struck him at the same time next, but by the time their attacks fell on the spot Ryan stood he was already gone. Sallie looked around to find him standing at the opposite end of the cleared out circle. Monsters jumped back in fear as they too realized he was suddenly standing there. He turned and looked up at the castle in the distance, now at Undyne's and Karim's back, as if he were seriously considering going there now.

"Just like old times, huh Undyne?" Karim said as he spun back into a ready stance.

"A little too much if you ask me." The captain said back dryly. "Let's make sure that it goes differently this time."

"Oh, I plan to." Karim charged at Ryan once more, a shouted "Wait!" from Undyne doing little to slow him.

Ryan did not even bother waiting for the monster to come near. An arc of fire flew at Karim with a slash of his sword. The fire parted before the monster as if repulsed by him, the rest petered out to nothing around him. The action did make the monster pause, however. He stared at Ryan as if daring him to move first. "So much for all our practice, huh?" The monster joked. Ryan kept silent and Karim growled. "You know what? I'd like to tell you a story, human," Karim began without lowering his guard in the slightest, "about a couple of kids I used to call friends."

"Karim no!" Undyne interrupted, but the other monster went on as if she had not spoken.

"You see, they were-" Then, Ryan decided he did not want to hear it. Sallie had not even registered that he had hit him until he was flying towards one of the buildings much like his son and Ryan was standing where he stood.

Undyne actually took a step back from him, holding her spear defensively, but it was only for a moment. "I don't get it," she said, her voice quivering with anger as the sound of Karim crashing into the stone faded. "Why are you doing this?" Undyne shouted at him.

"Because," he said, "I'm beginning to think this is simply the kind of person I am."

His answer only worked to drive Undyne's rage further. "You hear a few voices tell you something is impossible and you just let all of this happen?" She gestured around herself. "You're just going to believe them? They don't define you! Only you can decide who you want to be!"

Ryan took a step towards the monster. Sallie could no longer bring herself to look directly at him. If she did, she would likely be unable to hold back her tears any longer. Mettaton, her brother and his partner, and now Karim. What was he doing? "I've learned," he began, "that life doesn't quite work like that." He took another step. "Sometimes, no matter how badly you want something, you will never get it, and denying that reality will only drive you mad."

"I thought you were training to gain the strength to change that." Undyne tried to reason.

Ryan dropped his head again. "All of the power in the world won't change what I am, and it can't free me from the curses that come with it." His words chilled Sallie to her core. And in the shock of that, she found herself looking at him once more. He raised his head again, and Sallie gasped. The air around him seemed to shiver with the red mist that continued to pour off of him, and his eyes, those warm eyes she could lose herself in, glowed the same red; the same red as his soul. "A human can't save you." He stated. "I can't save you."

Undyne had decided that she had heard enough. She lunged at him with a wordless cry. Ryan turned her back without even seeming to move. She slid across the street in a wake of stone chips as she dug a cut into the ground and came to a stop at the edge of the crowd, almost at Sallie's feet.

Ryan walked up to her. No one backed away from his approach this time. They were all frozen in place. Though likely every fiber of their beings screamed to run, just as Sallie's did. She tried to tell herself that that wasn't Ryan, but she could not deny the truth. She felt like she had to do something to try to snap him out of it. But her mind would not move, would not form a thought. It simply locked the image of him standing over Undyne, eyes still glowing that cold red, into her mind and then only one thought came to her. It was the same as the words he said as he raised his sword over her:

"This is the end."

Then, something else caught her eye: a cube that seemed to change shape in her peripheral vision as she tracked it. It flew towards Ryan, who seemed to notice it as well through whatever means allowed him to be aware of everything around him at all times. He turned towards it just as it came over his shoulder and his eyes went wide. Sallie realized what it was then too: one of Mettaton's bombs.

The bomb blinked as it arced in front of Ryan, the _beep-beep-beep_ it made seemed dull in her ears. Then it went off, a flash of light that turned into a beam focused towards Ryan. The beam flew past him as he dodged, but then the shock in his eyes grew. He turned in the direction the beam traveled, and Sallie found herself wondering why. Then her thoughts seemed to kickstart into motion again, and pieces began to fall into place. The fact that her brother and the others had joined the fight, that they had been thrown into the buildings along the street; those two things should have been impossible, and the fact that they had happened could only mean one thing: the shield protecting them was gone.

As this registered, the beam flew out over the heads of the crowd and collided with buildings in the street behind them. Sallie could see from where she was standing that the beam cut straight through it, slicing it and several others as the beam curved to try to compensate for Ryan's dodge. As the light faded, a rumbling began to fill the streets, and then monsters began to scream.

 

Ryan watched in horror as the stone began to fall, the upper floors of three separate buildings had been severed from their bases and they were quickly falling apart. All the while he was rooted where he stood, frozen in stunned silence as the world quite literally collapsed around him. It was at that moment that time and everything he had done finally caught up to him, and he suddenly felt utterly helpless.

The monsters in the street seemed less frozen than him, they ran from the falling stone as soon as it started and those around them made way. They were quick enough to react that it seemed like they would all be clear of it before the first pieces hit the ground. Ryan nearly felt relief wash over him when a monster moved out of his line of sight and he saw, still standing directly under the falling buildings, a small shape huddled to the ground. He moved without even realizing it, sprinting towards the monster and readying a spell. He began weaving it around the monster just as something hit him in the back of the head, and the world went dark.

 

It took Sallie a moment to realize she was screaming as well, not for the buildings falling or for the monsters beneath that may still be crushed, although she was certain they were a part of it. Just as the stone began to hit the street, she thought she saw Ryan run beneath it. She turned away, hoping it was just her imagination, only to find that he was no longer standing over Undyne. Whimsalot and Froggit stood in his place, helping the warrior to her feet.

Undyne took in the scene with a calm rationale and then began giving orders without sparing a moment for shock. "Alphys, check Mettaton. Ruby, make sure Karim and the others are still alive. Paps, Whimsalot, Froggit, help get this crowd under control before the panic can get any worse. Everyone else, with me."

Sallie found herself following after the monster unconsciously, her body looking for any excuse to move. Undyne marched through the crowd with little difficulty as they streamed away from them. She pointed up at the remains of the fallen buildings. "Snowy, ice those." She said. "I don't need anything else falling down on our heads."

"Yes ma'am." He said immediately before flying off of Sallie's shoulder. The Snowdrake rose until he was circling over the street and Sallie watched as a lattice of ice began to surround the buildings.

"Ayame, I highly doubt that those buildings are empty. Start clearing them out, as fast as you can." The monster nodded before zipping off. Undyne then put two fingers in her mouth and whistled louder than Sallie would have thought possible. Much of the crowd around them stopped, several turned their heads towards her. "Alright, listen up!" she shouted to them. "In case you haven't noticed, everything that was going to fall is already on the ground. So when you're done running away from nothing, it's time to start clearing away this rubble, some may still have gotten trapped under there, which means time is of the essence. Any who are injured, clear out. Everyone else, get moving!" Monsters jumped to follow her orders. Turning back to the pile of rock, they began to chip away at it by hand or with magic. A semblance of order established itself almost immediately. Already, areas were being marked off of the debris to be collected and monsters formed lines to pass things along, they worked from top to bottom, not wanting to risk causing more to fall on anyone that may be trapped beneath.

Undyne turned to Sallie and MK, the last of their group to still be with her. "That means the two of you too." She said a measure more friendly. That was all before she turned to join the effort.

Sallie grabbed her arm without realizing. "Ryan," she said quietly. "He's under there somewhere."

Undyne let out a breath. "I know." She said. "I'm sure he's fine."

"What happened?" She found herself asking. She just could not hold it back anymore. "Why was he acting like that?"

"I don't know." Undyne told her calmly. She put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll talk about this later. Right now we have to dig your boyfriend out of the ground before we can ask him any questions, okay?"

Sallie wanted to say more, but she bit it back. She was right, and there may still be more than just Ryan buried under there. She pushed her fear to the back of her mind and joined the others.

 

Ruby decided to go help those who had landed furthest from the street first. As she has passed by Sallie's brother – she still needed to question the rabbit about why she was just learning about his existence today – she had heard him groan and begin to stir and knew that he was at least going to make it for a few moments more. So she climbed the stairs up into one of the buildings, trying to find where the other two had landed. The rubble from their collision nearly blocked off the stairs in some spots, so she had to step carefully, and slowly, but at least she could be fairly certain that they were near the stairwell.

Six flights later, she found a likely spot and began to dig out the stone, careful not to pull on anything that might cause more to collapse. Soon after she began, she uncovered spots of black armor and redoubled her efforts. It would have been very useful to know more than fire and healing magic at that moment, but she was not about to let a little rock stop her.

When most of the monster was dug up, she set to work. He was not moving at all; not the best of signs, but until he was dust there was still a chance. She began unstrapping parts of his armor, pulling them away to check for any damage underneath, and peaking beneath the parts she could not figure out how to get off of him. She found a few scrapes. They leaked white light into the interior of the destroyed room. There was likely worse to be found still, but started with those.

Holding her hands over the monster, a golden glow surrounded her hands, tendrils of light began to extend from her to the fallen monster and his wounds began to close.

"How's he holding up?" A voice said from behind her, making her jump.

She turned to find Karim looking over her shoulder, not at all appearing as if he had just been punched through a building. "I don't know yet." She told him honestly. She had been taught that there was never a point in lying and getting hopes up when it came to this sort of job. "Can you help me get him out of the wall?" She asked. The monster nodded and moved to the other side of her.

Each grabbing one of his shoulders, they began to pull. "Careful now," Ruby warned.

"I wouldn't worry," Karim assured her. "He's taken worse punishment than this. Takes after his mom; tougher than steel the both of them.

Once he was free from the wall, Ruby and Karim lowered him onto his stomach. With an order for Karim to take care of the parts of his armor she could not get herself, she began to look him over. Already it was not looking good. Unsurprisingly, the plate that covered his back was nearly shredded. The metal curved inwards into more spots of light, and these were much deeper.

Ruby was glad he was unconscious for this next part. With Karim's help, she unstrapped the back part of his armor and began to lift it off of him. "Keep it as straight as you can," She told him. The plate did not come up without any resistance, another bad sign. They tossed it away and Ruby began to analyze the true extent of the damage. More of his back was cut than not; she did not think there was much time.

Hurrying, she ran a finger through each of the cuts checking for any stone that may have gotten stuck, a necessary evil. It earned her a groan from the monster, which _was_ a good sign. Once clean, she held her hands over the monster once more and let her magic do the rest.

"You're pretty good at this." Karim commented while she worked.

Ruby could not help but smile. "I've always wanted to study humans." She told him. Even after the events of today, she saw no reason to hold back that information. "But, with how little we know about them, my school could hardly teach the subject, so I went with the next best thing."

"If all humans are like what we saw today, I don't think they'll ever need doctors." There was a little humor behind his words, but Ruby suspected it was not as much as he would have liked. "Your friend," he went on. "Does he always have mood swings like that?"

Ruby's spell wavered for a moment and she fought to regain control before something bad happened. She had been trying to push away any thought about what had happened, at least until she saw Ryan again and could ask him what the hell that was all about to his face. Right now, it was too much to take in. As she stared down at the injured monster, she could not believe her friend would do something like this.

"I've never seen him act like that before." She told him after another moment.

Karim chuckled dryly. "Well, then that robot must have really struck a nerve with him…"

The monster beneath her began to stir. His eyes fluttered open and took in the world slowly. He tried to stand, but Ruby held him down. She took the fact that she even could as confirmation that he was not ready to try something like that yet. "Easy," she said to him. "I'm almost done." She was almost done, as surprising as that was. She was fairly certain most of the damage would not even scar. He was a tough one indeed.

"Where's 01?" He said weakly. "Is he okay?"

"Your partner's fine." She told him. She was fairly certain he was. She was told not to lie to monsters; they never said she could not be optimistic. The answer seemed to satisfy as his eyes closed once more. He breathed steadily now as he tried to sleep off the effects of the healing. He would need food soon to avoid falling down, but he should be fine for the moment.

Finishing off her spell, she turned her attention back to the other guardsman. "So, what happens now?" She asked, proud that her voice held steady.

Karim let out a breath. "If everyone makes it out of this okay, then that depends on him."

Ruby nodded. It was the best she could hope for. That, and that Ryan had finally come back to his senses.

 

"Everyone keep moving!" Whimsalot shouted as monsters continued to shuffle before him. Even he was impressed by how quickly everything had calmed down. That was the captain for him, he guessed. As soon as they had realized the danger had passed, monsters began focusing on trying to set everything right again. Any who knew the right magic set up temporary tents at the edge of the park, and the wounded and any who knew healing magic began to file inside of them. The rest either went back to the pile of rubble to begin to clear it away or helped those unable to make it to the tents on their own. Whimsalot saw Papyrus holding up one such monster with its arm around his shoulders. The skeleton slowly walked him into the tent talking about something the small insectoid monster could not hear, but was likely working to keep the other monster's mind off the pain very well.

Papyrus poked his head out again a moment later and came to join him and Froggit. "There doesn't seem to be any serious injuries, ribbit." His amphibian friend mentioned.

Whimsalot looked to the pile of rock once more. Large sections of it still remained uncleared, and it had spilled out into more than half the street's width. "Not yet anyway." He amended for his friend.

"I am sure all will be well." Papyrus stated. He did not sound all that confident in himself. He had never seen the skeleton shaken, or anything less than absolutely ecstatic, but he definitely looked worse for wear now.

"Hey," he said him. "Don't worry about Ryan. I know him well enough to know he's a good actor, and improvisation is his specialty. I'm sure that was all just part of him trying to put on a good show despite the crap that robot was trying to pull. I'm sure that if it hadn't been for that last bomb, we'd all be laughing it off right now." He certainly hoped he sounded more confident than he felt. He could still see that look in Ryan's eye…

"Of course," Papyrus answered almost immediately, trying to shrug off any possibility that he had ever thought anything less. "I know my friend is not capable of actually hurting anyone. At least, not seriously…"

Whimsalot was about to say more, when a group of monsters heading toward the rubble caught his eye. "That's not good." He said instead to no one in particular as he watched Councilman Hiroshi walk by with an escort of rather large monsters trailing behind him. It seemed the day was not through with throwing more problems at them.

 

Ayame immediately realized just how right Undyne's instincts had been. Monsters must have been watching the fight from the widows as well as the streets, probably thinking they had the luck of the best seats from the comfort of their own homes. She found several dozen stuck inside just on the first two floors, huddled in corners more often than not. They were families trying to protect their kids mostly. Many were unable to walk, either from injury or merely from shock, so she began to pull them out one by one, taking advantage of her speed whenever she could.

As she emerged back out in the street, she would find any monster she thought capable of carrying her burden somewhere safe and handed them off to them. Soon, she found monsters lined up waiting for her to come out with the next and she was able to do her job much faster. Ice crept into rooms as ran through them, Snowy's spell continuing to do its work, so she expected she did not have to worry about further cave-ins.

It worked as a good distraction, more than anything; something to keep her mind off of what had just happened before then. That image of Ryan still felt like it was burned into the back of her eyes. For a moment she really had thought he had gone insane. What other explanation could there be for him acting like that. Then again, he had seemed to snap out of it almost as soon as someone who wasn't trained to take his punishment became involved. She shook her head and refocused her thoughts to the task at hand. There were too many questions that could not be answered right now.

The sight of her father walking towards the ruined buildings as she stepped out of them one of the times made her freeze, but only for a moment. She pushed down her fear and worries over his presence and did her best to ignore him. Unfortunately that did not stop him and his goon squad from coming up to her when he saw her.

She had just finished handing off another monster when he began to shout at her. "Ayame! What is the meaning of all of this? What are you doing?"

She barely spared him a glance. "Saving the city, dad." She disappeared for a split second and ran back up to him cradling a young monster in her arms. "What does it look like I'm doing?" She handed the child to her father before turning to head back in again. She was certain she had gotten almost all of them. Her father grabbed her arm before she could get away.

"Whatever madness has caused this, we will discuss you involvement in it at home. I came to collect you and I still intend to do just that!"

She pulled her arm free of his grasp and stared him in his eyes, ignoring his goons as they shifted to try to stop her from getting away. "I'm sorry," She said firmly and without a hint of mockery or sarcasm. Her father's eyes widened in shock. "I'm sorry for running away. I'm sorry for always acting like such a kid, and I'm sorry for what my friends did yesterday. But right now there are more important things going on than you or me. Like making sure no one else gets hurt today." Having said her piece, she turned to leave again. This time, he did not try to stop her.

 

Alphys shut out the world around her as she knelt over the broken Mettaton. It was the only thing she could do. Otherwise her hands would have been shaking so much she would not have been able to do anything at all. The rest of the city could have fallen around her and she likely would not notice.

Oh… She tried not to think about that…

Focusing on the task in front of her, she tried to figure out what she had to work with. Much of Mettaton was still largely intact, meaning she could fix him well enough get him standing without any of her tools. It would be sloppy work, but it was better than nothing.

Gathering his scattered limbs, The doctor set to reattaching wires and metal support rods before closing them off as best as she could. She had a little skill in working metal with magic, enough that she did not need a welder in this instance, but not enough that she was confident it would hold for very long. Electricity and circuitry were so much easier. If only they did not require a physical pathway whenever magic was not…

Focus.

The monster had finally powered down from all of the damage, likely that bomb was his last ditch effort to accomplish something before that happened. She would yell at the robot for that later, and this time she actually would yell at him. And he would listen and take her seriously, if he ever wanted her to repair him again!

How did she get into this mess? she could not help but ask herself. This was all because she wanted to be a part of a story, she realized. If she had not sent Mettaton after Ryan in the first place, none of this would have happened. It did not matter how much he denied it, that was the truth. She felt tears welling up in her eyes and she tried to refocus herself on her repairs again.

Before she could, her phone vibrated in her pocket. There was no ringtone, just the vibration. That could only mean one thing. She pulled the phone from her pocket and confirmed her suspicions. Data streamed across the small screen as one of the automated systems in the lab activated. Her eyes went wide. It didn't make any sense.

The pieces fell together in her head hard enough that she was surprised there was not another explosion. Alphys quickly opened a panel on Mettaton's chest and began pressing buttons to reactivate him. When she was certain nothing would go wrong during the boot-up, she pulled a monster who was walking past over and told them to help the robot when he woke up. Then she went off running, leaving her friends to deal with the rest of this mess and whatever came after. She had to. She had no other choice.

Something was very, very wrong.

 

MK continued to dig at the rock with his feet, growing more and more frustrated by his uselessness while other monsters cleared out the larger rock around him. He was looking for any sign that Ryan might be farther beneath. They had cleared out more than half the rubble now and had so far found no one trapped underneath, and no sign of any dust either. But Ryan was still nowhere to be found as well and he had seen the human under the rock before it fell. He must have tried to stop it. Why else would he have run in like that?

He tried to keep that thought in his head. That was what the Ryan he knew would do, not the Ryan he saw fighting. He had to admit, watching the fight had been cool, and everyone had said it was part of an act, but was it really? Some of those moments seemed all too real.

Snowy floated down to land next to him. "That should keep the rest of the buildings up." He said. "Anything?"

MK shook his head. "Not yet. Help me with this." He summoned a bone and grabbed it in his teeth. Wedging it under a piece of stone larger than him, he began to push down. The wind picked up around him as the drake added his own magic to the effort. The stone rose and fell away to tumble down the side of the pile. A pair of monsters had to jump back to avoid it as it rolled past them.

"Sorry!" Snowy shouted down before turning back to his friend. "I'm sure he's fine." He said.

"I know he's fine!" MK shouted and then immediately regretted it. The other monster seemed to understand, however, and made no comment. "We just watched him take down five of the strongest monsters in the Underground. It would take a lot more than this to…" He trailed off, unwilling to form the words. Instead, he turned his attention back to digging.

Snowy looked to the rock again as well. As he did, his eyes narrowed. "Does something seem off to you?"

MK looked up at the drake. "What?"

"Look," he said. "The rock, it's too high still for how much we've taken away."

MK rolled his eyes. "You expect me to believe you just mathed out how much fell and how much is left?"

"MK, seriously, it should be obvious, even to you." Snowy maintained.

He glanced over at the piles of stone they had been making as they cleared it away. There were three altogether, each piled high and close enough together for him to realize that his friend was right. They were still standing a good ten feet off the ground at the top of the rubble, yet it was obvious they should be almost done. "How can…" he began, trying to puzzle out the inconsistency.

"A shield!" They both realized simultaneously.

Just then, the ground beneath them began to shake. They had time to share a worried looked, before the stone fell out from beneath them.

 

A soft sound told Ryan that he was still alive and he tried to push his senses back into focus. Doing so proved a struggle; he could not see and the world felt like it was doing flips around him. There was also pain, searing pain coming from his chest and arm that made focusing on anything else incredibly challenging. Being stabbed through the side with a spear had not hurt this much, nothing had since he had discovered his power. Pushing the pain to the side was more difficult than it should have been. He tried to focus on the sound he had heard though he was not sure why. It had been faint, but for some reason he felt it was also important.

His mind felt hazy, sluggish. It took him a second to remember what had happened. The fights, the bomb, the building collapsing. He had rushed to save…

He opened his eyes the second he realized they were closed, but the world beyond his lids was little better. The glow of his soul helped to reveal a small space with a shape huddled at the center. Blinking away the blurriness in his vision, the shape resolved itself into a small, red-feathered monster. He realized the noise he had heard must have come from it and that it was crying. The huddled shape had its wings coving its head, and it shook as it sobbed. Ryan could not put a name to the monster, though whether from disorientation or lack of knowledge he was not sure, but he was certain it could not have been more than a child.

He tried to speak, and immediately regretted the decision. His breath caught as he tried to draw it in and the pain in his chest flared stronger than ever. Looking down, he quickly saw why. A piece of rebar, almost as thick as his wrist stuck out from his chest just to the left of the light of his soul. It did not take a clear head to know what that meant, and suddenly his grogginess made much more sense.

The metal had likely pierced straight through his heart or at the very least hit something near it that was just as vital. He forced himself to look away and focused on the rest of his surroundings. That problem could be dealt with in a moment. Rock formed a semicircle before him, almost perfectly smooth despite being made up of countless mismatched pieces. His back was to this wall. Within it, he picked out pieces of chairs and other furniture, broken plates and other house hold utensils. He had not been quick enough to stop the building from falling then, but he had at least been quick enough to form a shield and save the young monster trapped in there with him. For the moment.

He went back to his own predicament. He was not worried about his injury killing him. As soon as he was off of it, it would start to heal, as it always had. Trying to pull himself from the wall, he found that he could not. He could barely muster the strength to move, but even if he could have, it would have made little difference. His right arm was outside of the shield, buried in the rock. Apparently he wasn't fast enough to close it off completely with him inside. That was a problem. If he could not pull himself free, he could not heal. His power would still fight to keep him alive, but based on how exhausted he felt, that was taking most if not all of his strength to do. What was more was that his shield was not tied off and it was taking even more energy from him every second.

All of that mattered little at the moment, though. His eyes fell on the young monster again. Biting back the pain, he took in as much breath as he could and whispered, "Hey." The monster showed no response. Steeling himself, he tried again, louder. "Hey." He tried his best to keep the pain from his voice and hoped that it worked.

Slowly, the monster's head began to rise, ever so slightly, and their eyes met. "Are you okay?" It seemed a dumb question to ask once it was out of his mouth, but it was the only thing he could think of. "Are you hurt?"

The monster continued to look up at him with that confused look for a few moments, and then, as if a jolt ran through it, it seemed to snap back to life. Its eyes darted around the rock and Ryan could see it was about to cry again. "Hey, don't look at that." he told it – and god did it hurt to speak. "Look at me. We're both going to be fine, okay?"

The monster did look back to him. His words seemed to have the desired effect. The monster stopped panting and almost immediately seemed visibly calmer. "Really?" It said softly before it sniffled. It was just a kid after all, a young one at that.

Ryan gave the best smile he could manage given the circumstance. "Of course," he told her. He was pretty sure it was a girl. The monster slowly began to sit up, looking as though she was deciding whether to believe him, and he was able to get a better look at her. She reminded him of a cardinal, fiery red feathers coming to a point at the back of her head, but there was no black spot covering her face. Her large, green eyes stayed focused on him. Much of the fear was gone from them already. He meant to keep it that way.

She stood, walking upright in much the same way he would. Her plain white dress was marked with grit from the rubble. "You're hurt." She said as she looked up at him.

"What, this?" He tried to play off. "I've had much worse, don't worry about me."

The young monster seemed unconvinced. "Your mouth… It's leaking red stuff."

He did not want to think about the condition he was in, but one question came to his mind: how had he been too slow? The answer came simply enough. He had hardly felt determined in the moments before the buildings fell. His actions before had drained all of the fight out of him, and that mistake had cost him dearly. He suddenly realized how tired he felt and did his best to fight it off. He could not give up yet.

"Hey, do me a favor and keep talking, okay?" He told the monster. "It will make time go by faster until some comes and rescues us." And it would give Ryan something to focus on to keep himself awake, but he did not dare say that out loud.

"I don't know…" She began before trailing off.

"Do you have a name?" Ryan tried. The monster shook her head. Not surprising, many monsters picked their own names once they were older, if they did at all. "I'm Ryan." He tried next.

"I know you," she said. "I watched you with Mettaton. You're really strong, for a monster. Almost as strong as the king. But that show didn't end very good…"

Ryan did not blame her for being disappointed. He was disappointed in himself. "Yeah, sorry about that. It sort of got cut short." He tried to reassure her. She said nothing in response. "Have you ever met the king?" He tried next. He was beginning to hear crackling every time he breathed and was trying to get the monster on a topic where she would talk on her own. Sallie always said it was not hard to get monsters talking about their whole life's story. He was putting a lot of faith in that now. The young monster shook her head as an answer. She did not say a word. So much for that.

The young monster's eyes began to drift back to the stone again. "You're very brave, do you know that?" Ryan said as way to draw her back to him.

The young monster smiled. "My mommy says so too. I'm not even afraid of the dark anymore." She said proudly.

"Really?" Ryan said. "That's impressive. Even I'm still scared of the dark sometimes. If that's the case, then you have nothing you worry about now."

For some reason, her smile slipped at his words and her eyes dropped to the ground. "You're stuck in a wall." She said quietly. Before he could question what she meant by that, she went on. "Why do adults always think they can lie to me and I won't know?"

So, that was what was wrong. It seemed Ryan could not keep fear from her simply by relying on childhood innocence. But perhaps something else would work. "You want to know how I know we're gonna make it out?" He began. "I'll let you in on a secret, but you have to promise not to be scared, okay? And you can't tell anyone." The child nodded at least she was still trying to cling to hope. "I actually am a human," Ryan told her. "Do you know what that means?" The monster shook her head. Despite her promise, she now looked a little frightened of him. He was surprised by how easily she believed him, but he let that lie. "It means that I definitely have the power to keep us safe. You know the legends, right? About how strong humans are?" The girl nodded.

"Then you should know that keeping this up is nothing. I could blast this whole building away if I wanted to. The problem is, I don't know who's outside looking for us. I don't want to hurt anyone out there anymore than I want to hurt you." The child seemed to buy his lie and cheered up significantly.

The monster walked up and wrapped her arms around his leg. "Thank you." It said softly. "You're really nice." Ryan could not help but laugh. He tried to hold it back, but it was futile. Why did monsters insist on calling him that? The laughing fit turned into coughing. The ground around him shook as his concentration wavered. He covered his mouth with his free hand. It came away red. As he looked down at his hand, he realized the edges of his vision were beginning to fade. He did not have much time, but what could he do? Waiting for rescue was not an option at this point, not unless they found them in the next minute or so, but what other option was there?

He could only think of one, and he did not like it. He suspected that neither would she, but was the only other thing he could do.

"Hey, I need you to listen to me." The monster's attention snapped back to him, startled. How long had he not spoken? "Do you trust me?" He asked. The monster nodded. "Do you believe me when I say that you are going to be alright?" She nodded again. "Okay, I'm going to have to drop this." He gestured with his chin to the rock around them. The monster whimpered. "Hey, listen to me. You don't need to worry. You're going to be fine. The thing is, I don't know how much longer I can hold all of this up. It's really heavy, so I need to make it a bit lighter is all."

The young monster seemed to consider what he said for a moment. "Will you still be with me?"

Ryan had to look away from her before he could answer. "I'm afraid not." He admitted. The monster clung to his leg tighter. "Listen you've been such a brave girl. When we get out of this, I want to give you a present, something you can show to your friends and your parents so that they know how brave you were too, but I need you to do this."

"I'm scared." She said quietly.

"It's okay. There's nothing to be afraid of. Now, you just have to stand in the center."

The monster pulled away from him reluctantly, but she did what he asked. She looked back to him when she was in the center. She was not crying. If she had been, he was not sure he could have done what he had to do next, that he could have risked it, but this was her best chance.

"Shut your eyes, and promise me you won't move until you see light, okay? Not for any reason other than that. Do you promise?" She nodded. "Thank you."

"I'm glad I met you, Mr. Ryan." She said suddenly.

Despite himself, he smiled. Hot tears streamed down his face. The monster's eyes were already closed. He was glad she did not see them. "I'm glad I met you too."

He began to form the shield around the monster, and the rock around them shook immediately as the other shield failed in order to feed the new one. He fought to keep them both up as long as possible but he was quickly failing. His vision blurred, and he knew he was at his limit. Committing, he let go of the shield around the rock. In the instant before the rock fell, he used his momentarily returned strength to tie off the shield around the girl.

He slipped into darkness once more knowing he had at least managed to save someone.

 

The fact he woke up at all was a shock to him. The fact that he felt perfectly fine as he opened his eyes again was an even larger one. There was no pain, no crushing weight; nothing. He thought he might actually be dead after all. He took a slow, deep breath to test it. An echo of the pain he remembered still lingered, but other than that he felt fine.

He opened his eyes and took in his surroundings, squinting at the unfamiliar light as his gaze darted around the room he now found himself in. He was in some sort of canvas tent. Holes in the top let in light and revealed buildings on one side and trees on the other. He was still in the city then. Wooden poles held it aloft at the corners and down the center of a path that stretched out before him. He was not alone inside of it. Monsters scurried to and fro, tending to others who lay on narrow cots or sat on wooden chairs. He recognized Ruby among the fray, hovering over someone as she healed them. He tried to sit up. The act made his head spin, but that was all and it faded quickly. He looked down at himself. Someone had taken his shirt for he was bare to the waist, but that was not what surprised him. There was not a mark left by what had happened. He lifted his arm before him, the one he was almost certain he would lose that time. It was perfectly fine.

He was on a cot as well, tucked into the back of the tent. None of the injured monsters had been brought back near him. Another glance down at himself reminded him why and he wove a quick spell to hide his soul once more.

"It's about time." Sallie's voice said. His head snapped up to see the rabbit monster sitting beside him. As she looked back at him, every emotion imaginable seemed to cross her features, joy, anger, fear, sadness, concern. She also looked exhausted. A small monster rested in her lap, the one from before. She made tiny chirping sounds as she slept.

"Hey," Ryan said, trying to play it all off with a smile.

He had expected her to snap at him for that, after everything, so he was surprised when she laughed. "Well, at least I'm sure you're back to normal now." Sallie patted the monster in her lap on the head. "She wouldn't leave your side after we found you." She said. "We're still looking for her parents."

"Is everyone okay?" He could not stop himself from asking it, no matter how much he dreaded the answer.

Sallie looked out to the other monsters in the tent before nodding. "By some miracle, yes. It seems like everyone will live to tell about this day. And regardless of what Undyne says, I view that as a good thing." Sallie then looked back to him and the joy on her face nearly made it look like she would melt. "I'm so glad you're okay." She choked.

Ryan got down off the cot, wobbling a bit as he did before settling himself, and went over to kiss her. As he tried to pull away, she reached behind him and grabbed his head, keeping him close. "I was so worried about you." She said. Ryan realized she was crying now, tears streamed down her face. "We didn't think you were going to make it for a while…"

He could not help but chuckle. "Yeah, I don't even want to think about how bad I must have looked."

Her hand lifted from the back of his head long enough to smack it before she pulled him in for another kiss. "Don't you ever do anything like that again."

"Is he awake yet?" Undyne's voice said as she stepped into the tent. She was still in her armor and she looked just as tired as Sallie, if not more so. The warrior bee lined to Ryan as soon as her eye locked on him.

Ryan straightened immediately. "Undyne," he started, then stopped, unsure where to even begin. "I'm sorry." He decided in the end.

"Can it." She commanded as she stepped up to his face. The warrior stared at him for a moment and then pointed down to her side, to the child asleep on Sallie's lap. "You rushed to save her without hesitation, almost losing your own life in the process." She said, and then stabbed him in the chest with her finger. " _That_ is the kind of person you really are. Never forget that." Ryan watched her back as she left the tent without another word.

"No more vacations." Sallie announced once Undyne was gone.

The child on her lap began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and came to a rest on Ryan. She practically leapt to her feet at the sight of him. The young monster ran up to him and wrapped her wings around his legs. "I'm glad you're okay too." Ryan said as leaned down to rub her head.

"I did what you told me," she said. "I didn't move until the rock was gone and the angry fish lady tried to pull me out. There was something in the way when I first tried to reach her, but then it was gone."

Ryan nodded. It had worked then, the trigger for the shield that would dissolve it if touched from the inside. It was why he had told her to be still. He was worried the condition would not set, under the circumstance. "Didn't I tell you you'd be alright?" The monster's head bounced up and down. Her big smile was infectious and Ryan felt himself smiling as well, genuinely this time. "How about that present I promised you?" The young monster's eyes lit up. Ryan reached into his pocket and pulled out the red ribbon he had been holding onto ever since his first day in the ruins. How long ago was that now? He tied the ribbon into a bow that would have made Sallie's mother proud onto the child's head and then held out his hand in front of her. A small shield appeared above his hand that he altered until it reflected like a mirror so the monster could look at herself.

"Well don't you look beautiful?" Sallie said as she knelt down behind the monster. She smiled down at her.

"It's for being brave." She told Sallie.

"Then it's well earned."

Ryan stood and, remembering he was shirtless, looked around until he found the rest of his clothes on a small table next to his cot. They were little more than tatters at that point, but they were better than nothing. Throwing them on, he turned back to the child. "I think it's time you found your parents." He told her. "They're probably worried sick about you."

The young monster looked like she was about to say something for a moment, likely that she wanted to stay with him longer, but then she nodded and hugged him once more. "Thank you," she said before running off and out of the tent.

Ryan and Sallie rose as they watched the tent flap wing shut behind her. "You just had that ribbon on you?" The rabbit monster inquired.

"Yes, actually." He told her. He ran his gaze over the tent. The activity within had slowed significantly just in the time since he had woke. "What's it like out there?" He asked Sallie.

"Well, with the disaster avoided, everyone is starting to get over it. Most are still pretty shaken up, but it won't last long." She looked up at him before going on. "Beyond that, I don't know. I was waiting for you to wake up."

Ryan sighed. "I think it's time I helped sort stuff out too, huh? I owe a lot of monsters apologies."

"Yes, you do." Sallie agreed. "You really scared us with that act back there. I had no idea you…" She bit back her words, looking like she might start to tear up again. "Go," she said at last. "We'll talk about it later."

He nodded, a promise that they would, and began to make his way through the tent. Sallie grabbed him one last time and ran her hands down his shirt, the rips repairing themselves as she did, with a grumble about how he should not be allowed in public before she let him go.

He found Ruby first. The fire monster was still leaning over beds as she healed their occupants. He cleared his throat to get her attention and she rounded on him faster than he thought she were able and then practically fell into his arms as a result. As he pulled her upright, she seemed to be fighting to stay awake. "You need to rest." He said. It was not a suggestion, but she took it as one.

"I'm perfectly fine," she told him, "and I'm almost done." She tried to turn away from him, but he held her steady, needing a shield to do so.

"You don't have to do everything yourself." He told her.

Anger replaced exhaustion as the fired that formed her body seemed to flare up. "And what about you, huh?" she demanded. "You and Mettaton and everyone else can swear up and down that that was all part of an act, but I know that at least some of that was real. What you said…" She trailed off for a moment before she was all firmness once more. "We're your friends, Ryan. You can't keep your feelings and your problems locked up like that."

"I know." He told her. "I'm sorry."

The monster looked ready to scorch him. She may have tried, but the shield that held her back was still in place around her. Eventually, her anger melted. "As long as it doesn't happen again."

He nodded then asked, "Where's everyone else?"

"Outside," she told him. "Doing what, I don't know."

He let the monster finish up after that, despite his protests, and made her promise to rest soon. Outside, he saw that the tent had been set up right on the edge of the park. Two more stood to either side of it and monsters moved in and out with blanket or towels or clothes. The space between and beyond was crowded still. Everyone seemed to be gathered into groups, talking amongst themselves, all the way back into the street. A monster emerged from a rather large group in front of the tents as Ryan walked out of it. The Astigmatism wore robes similar to those the Loox wore in the ruins. He came straight up to Ryan without taking his eyes off of him.

"So, you're the one all of this fuss is about." The monster said to him. He raised a hand out to him. "Councilman Hiroshi. I believe you know my daughter."

Ryan hesitated before taking the monster's proffered hand, but finally decided that starting off on the wrong foot here was not something he needed that day. "About what happened," he began.

The monster raised his other hand to cut him off. "No need. The robot already explained everything. An act gone wrong indeed… But, he already admitted that the oversight was his own, and since it seems like no one was hurt too badly I see no reason to make this into a bigger fiasco than it already is." This news shocked Ryan, to say the least. Mettaton took the blame? He kept his secret? "I understand that you and your friends were trying to leave before all of this started. Though it pains me to allow some of what they did to go unpunished, you may do so as soon as everything has settled here. But if you ever cause trouble in my city again…" He let his threat hang and turned to walk back towards the castle. "Take care of Ayame," he added over his shoulder.

Ryan watched him disappear amongst the trees of the park before he began to make his way into the street. Monsters parted as they saw him. There was no fear in their eyes now, only awe. A few of them cheered, but it was never picked up by others. Eventually he picked up Mettaton's synthetic voice over the buzz of everyone else. He followed it until he found the monster standing in the middle of the largest group by far. He paused in his orating as Ryan came up to him. The monster looked like he was barely held together, but he hardly seemed to let that bother him. "I see you're awake." He said to Ryan. "Though, I suppose I should have learned well enough by now that nothing is likely to keep you down."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." he said back.

The monster raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I hardly faced _everything_ yet." For a wonder, more than one monster laughed at his words. Ryan opened his mouth to say more, to bring the subject to a different matter, but Mettaton cut him off.

"I am sorry, about all of this." He spoke loudly, loud enough that the crowd could hear him, but he made it clear that the words were meant for Ryan just as much as them. "I know you must have questions, but I'm afraid I may never have the answers to some of them." The robot stepped closer, and his next words truly were for him alone. "I learned a lot of things today, but more than anything I learned that I was wrong about you." He was cut off as the red feathered child ran out from the crowd and over to Ryan once more. Ryan looked back to see two similar monsters, likely her parents, smiling at him. They nodded thanks and Ryan nodded in return. "I think you can bring about the change you want to see in the world," the robot went on, "and I think today proves it." He scanned his eyes over the crowd and Ryan followed him. Every head was glued to them eagerly waiting whatever happened next. "Myself, on the other hand, I'm not too sure." He went on before taking a step back and raising his voice once more. "I wanted to be adored by millions, and that vanity put others in danger. And for that reason that I have decided to retire." Silence met his announcement. Stunned faces now filled the crowd. Farther back, murmurs rippled as what Mettaton said spread throughout the street. He did not seem surprised by their reaction. "I thank each and every one of you beauties. Thank you for coming along with me on this last episode. I am sorry it wasn't everything I had hoped to give you, and that it was nowhere near what you all deserved."

Then, the crowd of monsters roared. They roared louder than they had all day. They roared denial against the robots words and pleaded for him to reconsider. Shock had turned to admiration and sadness, and the Underground showed just how much they cared for their favorite robot. Ryan picked out a few words from the crowd.

"I loved watching your show Mettaton."

"I don't want you to go!"

"We'll miss you!"

"You're show made us so happy! I don't know what I'll watch without you… There's a Mettaton shaped hole in my Mettaton shaped heart."

It was the robot's turn to be shocked as he took in the crowds and their shouts with disbelief. Ryan stepped up next to him. "Millions already watch you, Mettaton." He told him. "And just because you may not hear from all of them every day, or even hear from any of them at all, doesn't mean they aren't there. You have to do what you love for yourself, not for others." The monster seemed to draw himself up with every word. Not with arrogance, but with confidence. "A long time ago you told me that all you wanted to do was entertain." He went on. "If that's the case, then you need to have some faith that is what you're doing, even if no one speaks up to confirm it." Ryan turned to look out at the monsters surrounding them again. "And it seems like you've done a pretty good job so far. Perhaps it's better if you stay here for a while. Humans already have stars and idols, but monsters… they only have you."

The monster looked to him and nodded. As he turned back to the crowd it seemed as if all his injuries had vanished for how he held himself. "Everyone," he began. "Thank you so much." He turned back to Ryan and took up a tone like that he had used for his show. A face for the crowd perhaps, but Ryan knew his words were truth. "Darling, you've proven to be very strong, in more ways than one. Perhaps, even strong enough to get past Asgore. Alphys told me what it was you wanted to try to do. I'm sure you'll be able to protect humanity."

Playing along, he undid the illusion on his spell once more. "And monsters." he added.

"Everyone." Mettaton agreed and then he chuckled. "It's all for the best anyway, I suppose. Sorry, for the trouble I caused."

Ryan nodded. "Same." He extended his hand to the robot. Mettaton stared at it for a moment, confused, but then he smiled and took it.

The two combatants shook and then Ryan thrust both their arms into the air.

And the crowd cheered.


	32. It's Raining Somewhere Else

"That's quite the story…" Nabstablook told Ryan after he had finished his tale. The ghost floated in front of his computer. It had been some time since he had seen the monster. It was good to know he still considered them friends and that he was still doing alright. "But why are you here?" he asked.

Ryan looked up at the ceiling from his spot on the floor. There were no chairs in the ghost's home, likely because he could float, so he sat in a corner with his back against the wall. The thought had crossed his mind that he could probably make a chair with magic relatively easily, but he did not want Nabstablook to feel obligated to have something the next time he was here.

He thought back to what happened in the city once the recovery work was done. "After that, we practically left with a hero's goodbye." He told his spectral friend. "I still don't get how we were able to get out of their without any form of punishment to be honest, but I'm not about to complain about it. Everyone seemed convinced that it was all just an act, up until the end. Even my friends."

Nabstablook turned away from his computer and shook his head. "No, I mean why are you _here_?" the ghost reemphasized. "In my house… At three in the morning…"

Ryan blinked and then chuckled. "Sorry, my concept of time has been a bit out of whack ever since I found myself down here." His eyes went to the floor as he searched for an answer. Why had he come here of all places? The last time he had felt like this, he had gone to Muffet, and he still was not fairly certain why he had done that. "After we got back, everyone's still been… kind of shaken," he said at last, "myself included. I guess I just needed an outside opinion on it all."

That was only a half truth, really. Since they had gotten back, everything had been relatively normal. He still hung out with all of his friends just has he used to, but he could not help but feel there was something hidden beneath their casual conversation now. Were they glancing his way more often than they used to? Did they stay slightly further away, or frown slightly when spoke, or flinch when he moved too quickly?

It could have all easily been passed off as his paranoia, but it was unfortunately more than that. Sallie had not said more than a few words to him when they were alone since they had gotten back. He seemed a stranger in her house for the first time since he had known her. Ruby had stopped trying to get him to sit for more exams or interview – the exact opposite of what he had expected in her case – always under the excuse of being caught up in homework. In fact, the only ones who still regarded him the same way they were Undyne, Papyrus, and MK. He had hardly seen Ayame, though he was sure she was doing something in the shadows of the town, and Alphys…

Nabstablook started at Ryan unblinkingly for a moment. The only movement he made was the slight shift up and down above the ground as he floated. Ryan was beginning to think he might not say anything at all when he asked, "Have you talked to them about it at all?"

"No," Ryan admitted.

"Well… that might be your problem then."

Ryan thought about that for a moment. All of his friends had seemed to develop their own version of why he had done what he had done in the city, and though he had promised to answer any of their questions, none had been asked. They seemed to be afraid of how he might answer.

"Was it all an act?" Nabstablook said suddenly.

The question caught Ryan off guard. That was the other part of it. He was not so sure himself. He chuckled again. "I know you're right, I should talk to them, but I don't think it's the right time yet…"

If the ghost could shrug, Ryan was certain he did. "If you say so…" The ghost floated over to the center of the room before turning back to him. "Well, I'm going to sleep. You can stay if you want… Or not… I don't really care… but… maybe sleep will help you too…"

Nabstablook rotated and floated down to the floor. He said nothing further. After a moment, Ryan decided to follow the monster's advice. It might be best to try to get some sleep as well. He certainly didn't feel like going back to town yet. He laid down on the floor parallel to his friend and stared up at the ceiling for a moment. His thoughts still raced in his head, one question more than anything else: _Where do I go from here?_ The path was no longer as clear as it had once been, and now he only felt lost. "Hey Nabstablook?"

"Shhh…" was the only response he got from the ghost. Ryan decided the question could wait. Making himself fall asleep was easy enough now that he had full control over his power. With little more than a thought, he was drifting off.

 

He found himself standing in the center of the universe. That was the only thing he could think of to describe what he saw and how he felt. He was in space, he knew that for certain. Stars and galaxies twinkled and spun in the distance, their numbers incalculable. He found he could see every detail with in each of the spirals. He could pick out every individual star and planet that rotated around them. Every particle of dust that drifted in the void he could see despite the vast distances between them and himself. Colors of energy swirled closer around him. They drifted into his vision to dance their intricate dance before floating away again. He realized he could not move his head, and so he found himself trying to trace the patterns of their paths while they were visible to him. What they formed threatened to shatter his mind, and so he forced himself to stop. The action gave him clarity. At first he was shocked, but voices just out of hearing whispered to him that everything was alright, and he felt himself calm.

He was floating, he realized. He had lost all sensation of standing on the ground. Or had he been lying down before he came here? He could not remember. He looked down at his feet, suddenly able to move his head once more. The light of the stars and the color faded to nothing beneath him, but the maw of the abyss that formed in their absence was not sinister, nor was it unwelcoming. He felt himself drawn to it. And the moment the thought came, he felt himself start to fall. The lights at the corner of his eyes drifted away until only darkness remained, and still he fell.

Soon, shapes began to resolve themselves in the shadow, lines of gray shot out from points, met at corners and continued on. The one dimensional plane became two and then three and an image began to form. The moment he came to know its existence, light filled his world once more.

He was in the ruins. The images of the buildings had filled with color that flowed like smoke until they formed the purple-veined bricks from his memories, gave them solidity and weight. He stood in the middle of the main avenue looking up at the roof of the cavern above them. Why had he expected to see stars? He turned his attention back to the street. Monsters milled about him as they went about their day. They offered him smiles as they passed and he found himself smiling back.

Where were his friends? He wondered. Surely they had something cooked up to help pass the day. He began to make his way through the streets, passing by their homes and the courtyards they frequently met up at. They were nowhere to be found. He expanded his search to the edges of the populated part of the city and still could not find a trace of them.

Having given up, he made his way back to the main street. Perhaps they were just busy that day. Maybe Toriel would have another lesson for him. He thought he saw the monster walk past him out of the corner of his eyes as he thought of her. He turned his head, but she was already gone. He ran after her, each time as he made it to the end of a street watching her disappear behind the next corner. He ran as fast as he could and still felt it too slow. No matter what he did, he could not close the gap any more.

Until, suddenly, she stopped. Monsters moved around her like she did not exist. Her back was to him. He opened his mouth to call to her, but another voice reached his ears first. Her voice. " _My child_ ," it whispered. The words echoed impossibly off of the walls of the city. The street was now empty, or had it always been empty? The figure standing before him began to shift, changing ever so subtly. It turned towards him. Black eyes with white irises met his own. Thin cracks ran down the monsters neck, leaking a mist that seemed to eat at the light. He knew this monster, though he had never truly met him. It looked pained, tormented. For an instant the figure flashed to a monster half its size. And then it flashed again, and again. The apparition lasted longer with each change until it finally settled on the child that stood before him. The monsters looked almost the same. They shared the same pain. Its face softened, innocence filled its eyes. The monster looked up at him and smiled.

_**How easy you forget.** _

 

Ryan bolted upright from the floor. His breath came in heaves which he quickly got under control as eyes darted back and forth through the room. He was still in Nabstablook's house; the ghost still lay asleep next to him. He gripped his shoulder as he tried to calm himself; an echo of the pain from the city returning to him. That had been happening all too often lately.

He thought about waking up the ghost to ask him about his dream, but realized that there was no point to it. How would Nabstablook know anything about it? Instead, he got up and decided it was time to go back to town.

The images from his dream fled from him as he made his way back, until so little of it remained that he could not remember what had made him nervous. He tried to push his anxiety aside. There was no point in worrying over something you could not even remember, he told himself. If only it were so easy.

When he made it back to Sallie's house, he found MK waiting on the porch. The monster stood up as he approached. His tail twitched back and forth as he smiled up at him. "Yo!" he greeted.

"What are you doing here so early?" Ryan asked the monster, smiling back at him.

"Waiting for Snowy," he replied. "Where were you?"

"Hiding in a cave." Ryan told him as he sat down on the steps next to him.

The monster's grin became a smirk. "So nothing unusual then?"

Ryan shrugged. "Not really."

They both chuckled and a silence slowly began to loom over them. MK broke it first. "You going back to training today?" he asked. It was not the first time the monster had asked him.

"I don't know," Ryan said after a moment. MK nodded, his gaze on the snow. "I haven't given up." He added as he saw the young monster's disappointment.

"I didn't think you did. I just…" he trailed off. "I just want everything to go back to normal…"

Ryan placed a hand on the young monster's head. "You and I both," he said. "Don't worry. It's only a matter of time."

The monster looked up at him again, his hope restored, and then he looked confused. "You know, you look a lot different than when we first met." MK told him.

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "You trying to tell me I need a haircut too? I keep meaning to, but Sallie keeps managing to talk me out of it somehow."

MK blinked up at him. "Haircut?"

"Yeah, cut my hair shorter."

MK continued to look confused. "But I don't get it. If your hair grew out, isn't that just how you're meant to look? Why would you want to be less you?" He asked.

Ryan thought about it for a moment. "I don't think I am being less me." He told the monster. "If anything I'm being more me."

The young monster tilted his head to the side. "I still don't get it."

Ryan tried to think of how best to explain it to him. "You see," he began, "humans are a lot more… confined… in how they look than monsters are. They all – to an extent, mind you – look pretty much just like me."

That fact made MK's eyes widen. "Really? That's boring. Sounds to me like you'd all get pretty sick of looking at each other after a while. What's so funny?"

Ryan was practically doubled over laughing. "What you just said is funnier than you'll probably ever know." He told the monster once he managed to calm himself down. "As I was saying," he went on, "while monster's appearances reflect themselves, humans aren't so lucky. We've got too much… stuff… to us for magic to affect it without a lot of effort. Instead, a lot of humans will take advantage of what they can change to give them more distinction. So all I'm doing, really, is making up for that lack of natural ability."

After a moment, the monster nodded. "I think I get it. You still look weird, though – Ow!" Ryan bopped the monster on the head and they both laughed once more.

The door behind them opened and Snowy joined them on the steps. "It's about time." MK said to him.

The Snowdrake rolled his eyes. "Just because you decide to be here an hour early doesn't make me late."

"In my mind it does."

"Yeah, well your mind counts for about the difference between a pound and two pounds of nothing." He then noticed Ryan sitting on the steps next to the other monster. "Hey," he said quietly, glancing up at him for only a moment.

"Morning," Ryan said back. "Sallie awake yet?"

"I don't think so," he told him.

There was silence for a moment. This time Ryan broke it. "Well, I won't try to hold you up from whatever it is you're doing."

"Cool. See you later then!" MK said as he jumped off the stairs and began to run down the street. Snowy glided after him.

Ryan sat on the steps a moment longer, debating in his mind whether or not to go in the house. Eventually he did, if not for the reason he originally intended. Quietly, he snuck up the stairs and grabbed his sword from just inside the kitchen doorway. He strapped the belt around his waist as he went back down. MK was right, he decided, it was time for things to go back to normal.

He stepped back outside to see Undyne walking down the street wearing her black leather jacket. She was heading in the direction of Waterfall. "Hey," he said to get her attention.

The monster stopped and smirked at him, placing a hand on her hip. "Well, well, well, look who decided to show his face around here for once. What's the occasion?"

Ryan joined her in the street. They were the only two out and about at the moment. He placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. "I think I've had a long enough break," he told her. "I'm starting to get a bit stir crazy. What do you say we get back to it?"

To his surprise Undyne shifted her gaze uneasily. She began cracking the knuckles of one of her hands. "Actually, today's not the best day for that…" she said.

"Why not?"

"Well, I kind of had something else planned today." If Ryan did not know any better, he would have said that Undyne was blushing. The monster shook her head in denial to some thought. "Actually, you know what, I'm glad I ran into you." She reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out an envelope. "Here," she said, holding it out to him. "I'd like you to do me a favor today."

Ryan took the parcel and looked it over. It was unmarked and not only was it sealed, but it was sealed with what Ryan could only guess was super glue and solder. "Who's it for?" he asked.

"Alphys," she said, and Ryan thought he felt the world shift beneath him. "And it's very important so you don't have a choice in delivering it for me."

Ryan barely registered the rest of the words. He looked down at the letter again like it had changed into a serpent that would bite it if he continued to hold on. Anxiety filled him and he did not know why. He held the letter back out to the monster warily. "I think this is something you should do." He tried to keep the shock out of his voice, but feared he was unsuccessful.

Undyne shook her head. "Alphys has had herself cooped up in her lab for more than a week now. I don't know what she's up to, but whatever it is, I don't want to be the one to interrupt her." She glanced in the direction of the lab. "Not even for this…" she added softly.

"I still think you should try." Ryan maintained, still holding the letter out in front of him.

The monster looked down at him angrily. "Why do you sound scared? It's just Alphys. Besides, I've already decided. You wanted something to keep you busy? Well, here you go. Consider it easing yourself back into doing what I tell you." He hesitated for another moment. He wanted to tell her outright that he would not do it, but he could not come up with a valid excuse not to. Why did he feel so uneasy? Ultimately, he nodded and stuffed the letter into his shirt. "Great," she smacked him on the shoulder to get him going. "I'll be waiting to hear how it goes later!"

When Ryan was out of the town, he took out the letter once more. Forming a small light over his hand, he held it beneath the letter to see if he could read what was on it. He could not. He turned the object over and over in his hand as he made his way towards Waterfall. His mind went back to the dream he had had in at Nabstablook's. The last words he had hung in his thoughts. _How easy you forget._ What did that mean? What did the letter mean? He knew he was making a mistake, but curiosity made him want to find out where it would lead.

He felt he should already know the answer.

 

"We're almost there," MK said as he threw his head over his shoulder to glance at Snowy. All the while the monster continued to trudge through snow piled up almost past his legs without seeming to be slowed by it in the slightest. Snowy stepped along on top of it, the snow thankfully being thick enough to hold his weight. Otherwise this journey would have been much worse than it already was. He hated having to walk for any significant distance; it was uncomfortable and unnatural. However flying had proved to be impossible not long after they set out. The Snowdrake looked up at the trees above them. The branches were far too thick for him to even glide between, let alone see his friend above them.

So, he put up with a measure of discomfort for a while. It was, after all, for his friend. "Why do you live all the way out here anyway?" They had walked through the part of the woods that rimmed the town up on the cliff above the forest until they came upon another path that led down to the floor of the cavern that Snowy had not even known existed. They then wove their way along the rock wall that encompassed them until Snowy was certain they had to be a good distance from the town.

"You'll see," MK told him without even slowing.

The drake shook his head. "You know, not that I'm one who's really against surprises, but whenever they involve you they often have the tendency to cause one or both of us physical pain." MK suddenly rounded on him fast enough that Snowy almost ran into him. "What?" he asked after floating back a few feet.

He half expected the other monster to be mad about something for how he had reacted, but that did not seem to be the case. "I hadn't thought about that." The lizard monster said. He was staring past Snowy, a mixture of guilt and worry on his face.

"Everything alright?" Snowy asked, waving a wing to try to snap him out of daze.

The other monster blinked after a moment. His eyes met Snowy for a brief moment before falling to the snow. "I just realized this might not be a good idea…"

"Why is that?"

"The reason my family lives out here is that our house is connected to Hotland, sort of" he explained. "It helps make things a bit warmer. A lot warmer than the rest of the town. It's not that we can't stand the cold; it's just more comfortable, you know? I didn't even think that you might hate it there…"

MK looked more than a little embarrassed by his oversight. Snowy chuckled. "Is that all?" he joked. "I've been living with Ryan and Sallie long enough that I'm pretty sure I'm used to it. I was fine in the city, remember? Besides, it can't be any hotter than Grillby's, can it?"

"Yeah, but you hate going to Grillby's…"

Snowy rolled his eyes. "Maybe at one point, but not anymore." He did still hate going there almost every night, but he could tolerate it at least. Besides, Grillby made a mean Daiquiri. Nonalcoholic, of course.

His friend glanced up at him again. "You sure?" he said doubtfully.

"Certain." He reinforced.

"Good," MK said, not failing to bounce back instantaneously like he always did. "Because we're here."

MK ran behind another tree, leaving Snowy to shake his head. When he followed after the other monster, he saw that he had not been joking. Around the corner, tucked into the rock of the cliff, was a house not unlike the ones that filled the town. Bare wood melded with the stone almost seamlessly. Unlike the others, however, snow did not seem to touch it. A small section of roof peeked out from the rock, but the tile was bare. A narrow ring of bare rock surrounded the base of the house. "For some reason, I expected something… different." Snowy said as he went to stand by his friend.

"Well, now you know what happens when you assume." MK told him, sticking out his tongue before continuing on to the house.

"Real mature." Snowy said after him.

Soon they both stood at the foot of the door. Even there, Snowy already felt significantly warmer. The thought crossed his mind that perhaps this was not such a good idea, but he pushed it down. MK took a cord that hung from it in his mouth and tugged on in. The door opened just as if he had turned the handle. "Mom! Dad! I'm home!" he shouted as he stepped inside. "I brought a friend!"

Snowy followed hesitantly. He had felt the increase in heat from inside as soon as the door opened. He had been wrong; it _was_ hotter than Grillby's. But, it was too late. He had already made up his mind. Sucking in a breath, Snowy prepared himself to bear it.

The house was not unlike the upper floor of Sallie's house. The front door opened up into a living room where a long couch and a pair of thick armchairs flanked a table made of a dark, polished wood. Behind that was a kitchen, tucked into the back corner of the room. It had the same flat stone countertops as all the other houses he had known. All of the appliances were along the back wall but for the sink which was in the center of the part of the counter that jutted out of the wall to cut it off from the rest of the roof to an extent. High chairs stood in a row on the outside of it. To the right of the kitchen was another table surrounded by three wooden chairs. Various doors led to other parts of the house. In the kitchen, Snowy's eye caught what he would have immediately called a taller version of MK at it stood up from beneath the counter.

The monster dried its hands on a towel as it looked up to see MK running towards the counter and smiled. MK jumped up onto one of the chairs and began to spin on it. "I'm glad to see you didn't run into any trouble." The monster said to him.

"What trouble could we possibly get into on the way here, Mom?" MK asked back.

His mother chuckled. "With you? Worlds." The other monster poked him on the nose as he stopped spinning, cutting off whatever retort MK was about to use. Now that they were standing together, Snowy could note some differences between them. Aside from the fact that his mother was purple, the spikes that ran along her head and back were longer and seemed to move up and down counter to her movements. Her eyes then turned to him. The large golden orbs regarded him curiously, but not unkindly. "And who might this be?" she said.

"That's Snowy," MK told her.

Snowy had made it to the kitchen by that point, hopping up the step that separated the two halves of the room and walking slowly as he took in the house. MK's mother walked over to lean down in front of him. Her smile grew. "It's nice to finally meet you, Snowy." She straightened before going on. "Feel free to perch wherever you'd like, we won't be offended." The monster went back behind the counter as a clamor came from another room; the sound of metal clanging against the floor suddenly filling the house.

"I'm okay!" A voice followed before another figure appeared in the room with them. This monster truly did look like just like a larger version of MK, with the same coloring and everything. He had to grab the door frame to stop himself from sprinting past it. He was all smiles immediately after though. "Who would have thought that pipe would fall after I was almost finished cutting it?" He joked. "Honey, remind me to get a clamp the next time we're in the city? Or maybe a few of them since the last one I got broke on me after a week." The monster then seemed to see Snowy. "We have a guest?"

"Snowy." MK told him with a nod.

The monster's smile widened. "Ah, so you're the Snowdrake we've heard so much about." The tall lizard walked up to Snowy and held out his hand. He seemed to realize what he was doing a moment later and pulled his hand back with a mumbled apology. "Our son talks quite a bit about you, you know?" he went on. "He's been hoping to get you here for some time."

"Yo, Dad!" MK said, embarrassed.

"What, am I supposed to lie?" The monster asked his son as he walked over to stand next to him.

MK avoided his gaze. "No but you could talk about something else…"

His father wrapped an arm around his son and MK struggled against his grip. "Oh, but what kind of father would I be if I didn't embarrass my son in front of his friend?" The monster said before finally letting MK go. He turned back to Snowy. "Let me tell you Snowy, if you want some good stories. MK has a wealth of them. Why, on his first day of school he…" The monster trialed off as he started to look perplexed. "You alright, son? You seem to be… evaporating."

Snowy looked down to see that the monster was right. "Oh, sorry," he said. "It's a little warm in here…"

"If you're uncomfortable, we can change that." The monster said.

"No, it's fine." Snowy told them. "I already took care of it." He spread his wings so that more mist poured off of him. I may fog up your windows a bit though."

"Snowy's crazy good at ice magic." MK spoke up. "He can keep up spells almost all day."

"At your age? That's quite impressive." The taller MK complimented. Snowy looked away, embarrassed. "Have either of you eaten yet today?" he asked next. "Your mother and I were just about to. What do you say Snowy? My wife's an excellent cook."

Snowy did not need much convincing. Minutes later they sat around the table next to the kitchen. The food was good. Snowy watched the other three monsters while he ate. They smiled and laughed and joked. It was nothing like his own family. At least, not anymore.

"What's the matter, son? You look like your mind's elsewhere." MK's dad asked him suddenly. He had not noticed that he had been staring off into space with his thoughts.

Snowy let out a dry chuckle. "I was just thinking about how different you guys are from my family. We… we don't get along well."

The monster seemed to regret that he had asked. "Unfortunately not all families do…" he said. "But, that's behind you now, isn't it?"

"We understand you've been living with the human" MK's mom said. "From what we've seen of him, he seems nice enough."

"I have, and it's been great but… I'm worried it may not last much longer."

"Why's that?"

"Things have been… tense ever since we came back from the city."

"Ah. MK told us about what happened. That was quite the tale." The monster paused a moment. "You know, I met a human once myself when I was your age. We didn't really get along, which was understandable. I was a bit of a brat as a kid… But what I learned in that brief encounter was that humans may sometimes do some things that seem crazy and extreme to us, but they do it for the right reasons, even if they might not be evident to everyone else. In a way, they're more willing to tread the line drawn in the sand, if you catch my meaning, but they still know not to cross it." The monster gave him a reassuring smile. The words made Snowy think for a moment. "I'm sorry. I'm rambling again, aren't I?" The monster went on. "My point is: I'm sure everything will work out."

Snowy nodded. "Thanks." He actually felt much better than he had a moment ago.

"So, I understand you want to be a comedian. Why not tell us a few jokes?"

 

Ryan took the riverboat to Hotland. It was the first time it had actually been there for him to take when he was alone. He almost would have said it was avoiding him. The monster steered its craft, humming to itself as always, when it addressed him. "You look down," it said. "Though I suppose that is not a first."

That sing-song voice caught him off guard, making him slightly defensive. "Really? I feel fine." He told it.

The monster giggled. It sounded like multiple voices laughing at once, which made it equally as off-putting as its voice. "He tells a lie though he is completely aware of it. An old lie too; one told many times before, and one promised never to be told again. But, it has been so long. I suppose it can be forgiven this one time. So tell me, child, what is on your mind?"

He ran his fingers in the water, causing his reflection to swirl and deform. "Everything is wrong." He said softly.

"That implies that there is a right way to everything." The monster said back. "There is only what is, nothing more."

Ryan looked up at the monster. "How can you know that?" he questioned.

"Because to think otherwise can only lead to insanity."

Ryan chuckled. "That's my line."

"And that is also not truly your problem. Tell me, child."

Who was this monster? Ryan thought to himself. He almost kept silent for fear of some unforeseen consequence, but his last conversation with the cloaked figure made him want to see where this led. "I've been here too long." He said at last.

The monsters head turned to him slightly. "Oh? Are you certain?"

He let out a breath. "No, but… I know I _should_ go, yet every time I'm about to try, there's always a reason to stay, to wait for a sign that will let me know that I'm ready."

The monster was silent for a long stretch of time. Ryan thought it might not respond at all. "Perhaps, child, you're not as ill prepared as you think." It said ultimately. "Sometimes, we must do things even when we don't feel we are adequately equipped. And if this is eating you so much, perhaps this is one of those moments. This time, no one may come along to spur you on your way for you. It is up to you to decide to move forward."

Ryan looked at the monster back, stunned. How much _did_ it know?

The boat pulled over to the shore; they had arrived. Ryan stayed seated. "Would you like to go somewhere else, perhaps?" it asked.

"No," Ryan said after another moment. He stepped onto the ground and when he turned back around, the monster was gone.

He was left with a lot to think about. He should not have put any stock into the mysterious monster's words, yet he did. Was he simply being scared? Or was he justified in holding back for so long. Should he have kept going that day, or gone one of the days after?

"I'd probably be dead if I had." He said to himself. He held the letter out before him again. Its significance seemed to mock him. What was he forgetting? _There is only what is,_ the monster had said. "Might as well deal with this first then." He stuffed the letter back into his pocket and made his way to the lab.

It was true that none of them had seen the doctor since leaving the city. She had apparently run ahead of them in the middle of the catastrophe with little more than a message to Undyne that read, _something came up_. No sorry, no emotes; nothing characteristic to Alphys at all. That made what he was about to do even more ominous. Undyne had told them not to bug her about it and, as she knew Alphys longer than any of them, they had all listened. But apparently now even Undyne was getting worried. Ryan was too, but he suspected that only he was afraid to find out the answer to her absence. Then again, not even Undyne wanted to deliver the letter.

He had come to find the metal box of a laboratory to be welcoming in the months he had been training. His times there had often been both informative and fun. That feeling was gone as he made his way to the door that day. The metal walls seemed to loom over him. He thought he could almost hear the core's cackling pulse whispering just beyond auditory range. He rang the doorbell and waited, tapping his foot involuntarily.

While he waited, he looked up at the top left corner of the door. Undyne had pointed out to him the locations of several of the doctor's hidden cameras, and he wanted to make sure she knew it was him who had rang. After a few minutes, he rang the bell again and pressed the button on the intercom next to the door. "Alphys, you there? It's me. I have something for you." He let go of the button and waited for a response, but there was only silence.

After about ten minutes, he leaned down to push the letter under the door figuring it would be better than returning to Undyne with the job unfinished. It slid open before he could. Alphys stood before him looking like she was about to fall over. The monster looked on the edge of exhaustion. She jumped back as she registered who it was. "Ryan? You… You're okay! I was… worried…"

"Alphys, we've talked about you getting proper sleep." He told her, ignoring her reaction. "Sallie has too, and Ruby."

The doctor seemed to forget about the lost time between them immediately. "Sorry," she said. "I've been… busy…" Ryan suspected it was something more than that, but he let the matter lie. "You said you had something for me?" The monster asked nervously.

Ryan held out the letter to her. "It's from Undyne," he told her.

She turned the letter over and looked at how it was sealed. "That certainly doesn't surprise me." If the monster was at all surprised by the letter, she did not show it. Her expression did not change at all. Alphys ignored the seal and tore a claw into the side of the envelope. She pulled out the paper and began to read. Ryan watched her jaw drop and her eyes move faster and faster as they shifted down the page. The piece of paper fell from her fingers and drifted to the ground. "If… if t-this is some kind of j-joke…" she trailed off.

Ryan picked the letter off the ground and started to read it. He then read it again to make sure he had read it right the first time. "It's a love letter." He was surprised to find how flat his voice sounded.

Her eyes widened like she had thought she could have denied it before he had spoken up. "Oh my God…" she breathed. The doctor put a hand to her head and started to pace inside of the doorway. "No, no, no, no, no…" she repeated over and over again.

"Alphys," Ryan tried.

"No, no, no, no…" she went on.

"Alphys!" The monster jumped and turned to him. He refolded the letter and asked, "So, what are you going to do? Are you going to respond?"

The doctor's eyes threatened to pop out of her head. "What? N-no! I can't… I mean, she won't… it would never-"

Ryan put a hand on her shoulder, pulling her eyes up to his. "You like her too, don't you."

His look worked to silence her stammering. It had not been a question, but she answered anyway. "Yes," she whispered. "If it wasn't for her I…"

Ryan smiled. "Then you should tell her." He said flatly. "Life's too short to keep things like that to yourself."

The monster shook her head. "No, I can't. I-"

"Alphys," Ryan interrupted. "I know what you're about to say, so allow me to dismiss all of your theories out of hand. We both know Undyne; she isn't one that changes her mind easily. So anything you think you can do to change what that letter said will fall well short." The monster opened her mouth to protest, but Ryan ignored her and went on. "On top of that, if you think she's going to take no for an answer, you've got another thing coming. And don't think for a second that there's any place you can hide from her for any significant amount of time."

Alphys looked down at her feet as she considered his words. "You're right," she said after a moment. She did not sound as happy as he hoped in admitting it.

"Excellent!" Ryan said anyway. He jumped behind her and started pushing her toward Snowdin. "Let's tell her now."

"Wait, What? I-I can't go see her like this!" The doctor protested.

"I will not have any more excuses, Alphys."

"No, seriously!" she struggled fruitlessly against his grip. "I haven't showered today, this lab coat's a mess; I can't see her like this!"

Ryan stopped pushing her. She turned to him pleadingly and he crossed his arms over his chest. He looked down at the doctor with more than a measure of skepticism. "If I give you time to get ready, you're not going to disappear in there, are you?"

"I promise I won't," she said.

He continued to stare down at her, looking for any sign to doubt. "Alright," he told her, "but if I have to go in there, I will tear down the whole lab until I find you. And don't think I can't do it."

She nodded her submission and he stepped out of her way. The doctor made it to the door before she paused. "Ryan…" she began. "About what happened in the city…"

"None of that was your fault, Alphys." He told her. "And no one, least of all I, blames you for it." After a moment, he added. "Was that why you ran off?"

There was a moment of hesitation. "No…" she said.

"Good."

Alphys disappeared back into her lab. Ryan sat down outside nearby, his legs dangling over the edge of the rock. Molten rock rested just a few feet below him, but he barely felt its heat. The whole cave felt more like a midsummer day than the inside of a volcano. He thought back to the first time he had made it to that cave. The heat had been enough to knock him out, no matter that he had already been close enough to exhaustion already. Things really had changed, he realized. He looked down at his hands in his lap. "It's been almost a year," he said to himself.

He sat and thought for a while. He was not sure how long, but when he was done he was certain Alphys should have been ready by then. He got up and went over to the door. It did not open for him. A quick scan of the walls and the lock was 'disengaged' the Undyne had shown him. He went in. She was not at her computer at least, which was good. It meant she had not ignored him completely. "Alphys?" He tried.

A response came from the top of the escalators partially hidden in the walls. "Sorry, I'm still getting dressed!" He accepted that excuse for the moment, placing the letter down on the monster's desk, and waiting patiently by the monitor almost the size of the wall in the main room. Every time he had been to the lab in the past, the screen had always displayed something, whether it was a camera feed, a paused show, or the scrolling data of whatever experiment she had been running. A giant 'Signal lost' was all that was occupying the otherwise black screen that day. He wondered what that was about for a moment before Alphys stepped back into the room. He spun as he heard her step off of the moving staircase. The doctor wore a red, polka dot dress that matched the embarrassed look on her face. It was so far gone from her usual attire that he had almost thought it was someone else. "H-how do I look?" she managed to mumble.

Deciding to hold back the first thing he thought, and instead said, "It… seems a bit much just to tell her how you feel…"

Alphys's eyes darted around the room as she spoke. "Well, I mean… maybe, but… I feel like I need something more than just my usual for something like this." The doctor looked down as the dress for a moment as if to confirm she believed what she had just said. "Besides," she went on, "she helped me pick it out. While we were in the city."

Ryan shrugged, but smiled. "If that's the case, I guess it's ultimately up to you. Ready, otherwise?"

"Not yet, I need to make sure I have a few things." The doctor snapped her fingers and a panel on the wall opened to reveal a hidden compartment. "I had an idea while I was getting ready," she said as she began to rummage through the clutter that filled the space. "If I give her some gifts first, it should raise her affection stat even more, and this will all go much more smoothly."

Ryan looked at the monster's back incredulously. "Affection stat?"

"Yeah! Let me see, what would work? I've got some metal armor polish, waterproof cream for her scales, and a magical spear repair kit. Do you think those will work?" The doctor turned and held out a small, black box to him.

Ryan looked it over. "Magical spear repair kit? Doesn't she just unsummon and summon up new ones if they-?"

"It's hard to explain. Very technological. Can we go now? I think my knees are about to give out…"

"Alphys," he began, handing the box back to her. "You sound like you're not taking this seriously."

"I am taking this seriously!" The monster defended. "I'm taking this more seriously than anything in my life. I haven't stopped running the possibilities through my head since I first read the letter. I've think I have finally have clear idea of how I want things to go in my head."

"Alphys," he said again, shaking his own head. "This isn't a dating game. It's not about saying and doing the right things in the right order to get the best ending."

The doctor looked ready to deny that was what she was doing, but bit it back. "How else am I supposed to make this work?" she asked instead.

"By being yourself," he told her. "She already likes you. All she needs to know is that you feel the same. The hard part's already done."

"But-"

"No. Alphys, I'm right about this, trust me."

The doctor looked ready to argue again, but she just sighed. "Okay."

They walked over to the riverboat dock, but the monster was still not there. Ryan scratched he head. "Oh well!" Alphys spoke up, turning to head back to the lab. "I guess we'll have to do it some other day."

Ryan blocked her with a spell. "Oh no, you're not getting out of this," he told her. "We'll go the long way."

 

"All I'm saying is that you didn't need to hold back so much." MK said as he and Snowy were walking back to town. They were, thankfully, taking the main path back, so at least Snowy felt like he knew where he was going. And he could lift himself off of the ground every now and then.

"This is your parents we're talking about here!" Snowy argued. "I wasn't about to tell any old joke around them."

"You underestimate their sense of humor and overestimate how much they care about being 'proper' around me."

The drake chuckled. "Well, I wasn't about to risk that."

"Snowy!" A voice said suddenly that he had not been expecting to hear. The drake froze in the middle of the path. MK stopped a moment later, looking back at him puzzled. Then he looked behind Snowy and his eyes went as wide as he expected his own to be. Snowy turned slowly, though he already knew what he would find. His father beat his wings to settle himself as he landed in the snow. He did not look happy, not that he ever did anymore. "I knew I would find you out here."

"Dad, what are you-?" Snowy began, but the larger Snowdrake interrupted him.

"I've come to bring you home." His father told him and Snowy felt like he had just been forced awake from a pleasant dream into his worst nightmare. "Did you think I wouldn't find out what happened in the city?" he went on. "I would have been here sooner if it hadn't been for the fast that they shut down most of the transportation in the city while they were trying to fix that mess. I can't believe you were involved in that! I knew the town letting that human roam around would lead to trouble. I should have gone to the king about him long ago. No matter, I am making sure you stay far away from him and any monster who associates with him from now on."

"No!" Snowy shouted in denial, but there was no real force behind it. His father, who had already turned back in the direction of their home, looked over his shoulder. "No?" he said curiously. "Snowy, I am your father. And as your father, I know what is best for you. And it is _not_ allowing you to keep getting into trouble because of someone who should not even be allowed to be here in the first place and a crazy guardswoman who should retire before she gets us all killed! Now let's go."

Snowy heard the snow crunch in front of him. He looked up, expecting to see his father standing over him, ready to force him back home. But it was MK. The monster stood between them, staring his father down. "You take that back." The lizard said fiercely.

Snowy's father stepped up to the smaller monster. "And just who are you?" he said.

"You're wrong." MK told him, ignoring the question. Snowy's happy where he is. You can't just take him away from that."

"You expect me to just let my son keep trying to get himself killed?" The monster shook his head. "Why am I even arguing with you? You should be home yourself. Come on Snowy, that performance in the city was enough for me to know I'm making the right choice."

"Snowy helped save a lot of monsters in the city." MK argued, standing his ground. "If he hadn't been there, things would have been a lot worse than they were."

The larger Snowdrake barely glanced at him. "And if that human hadn't been there, it wouldn't have happened at all. Let's go Snowy."

Snowy shocked himself by taking a step forward. He wanted to argue, but what could he say? Anything he had tried in the past only made things worse. He would just have to listen for now and run away once his father left, like he always did.

Another voice stopped him before he could take a second step. "I don't think so." It said. Snowy turned his head to see Ayame and Ruby walking up to them from behind the trees. To say that the two monsters were a shock was to say that Hotland was warm. They walked to stand between the three of them. Ruby turned back and winked at Snowy.

"And just who are _you_?" His father demanded.

The shrewd Astigmatism waited a moment before answering, letting her show that she was in control now. "My name is Ayame, daughter to Councilman Hiroshi and proxy to His Majesty, King Asgore." Ayame gestured to the fire monster next to her. "And this is Ruby, my hired muscle."

"Hey, wait a second!" Ruby began.

"Shush you." Ayame went on.

"I've heard of you." Snowy's father said before the other monster could go on. "What are you doing here?"

"Keeping an eye on our human friend, of course; making sure he keeps out of trouble."

"Some job you're doing…"

"What happened in the city was meant to be a show, one where no one got hurt. And it was not fault of the human's that things ended the way they did, as I'm sure you heard from all of the reports, but that's not why I'm _here_. I'm here to tell you that you can't take Snowy home."

"What?" They all said at once. Even Snowy found himself in the chorus.

Ayame nodded to confirm her words.

"This is ridiculous," Snowy's father said, shaking his head. "I'm not going to stand here and listen to nonsense."

"I can assure you it's not nonsense." Ayame went on. "Given my position, I should know a thing or two about monster law. According to that law, if any monster under the age of eighteen is found to be without a parent or guardian, any monster deemed fit to care for them may become their guardian if there continues to be an absence for more than ninety days, provided that said underage monster agrees to live with them. Snowy how long has it been since your dad was here last?"

"Six months." Snowy answered quietly.

"Well over the deadline, I'm afraid." Ayame went on, shaking her head. "Now, the list of monsters able to declare potential guardians as fit is a short one, but members of the Royal Guard are listed second under the king himself. And since I know for certain that Undyne, Captain of the Royal Guard, approves of Ryan and Sallie as Snowy's guardians, there is only one thing left to check." The Astigmatism turned to Snowy. "Would you like to keep living with them?"

"Yes." Snowy tried to put as much force behind the word as he could, but very little came.

"Then it would appear, Mr. Drake, that you've lost the right to act on what you believe to be his 'best interests.'"

The speech only helped to infuriate the monster further. "I. Am. His. Father." He nearly growled. The feathers of the crest on the monster's head nearly stood on end.

"And from what I've heard, you've done a pretty poor job of it. And I know a thing or two about bad fathers." Ayame countered. "Not only are you barely even in this part of the Underground, your 'parenting' has caused Snowy to run away from home multiple times, and from what we've heard you did little more than yell at him before then. You forced him into things he did not want to do, and kept him from what he did want to do. Frankly I think even the king would agree with the decision to let him live with Sallie."

Ayame's words struck like a knife, and Snowy's father deflated. "You're right," he said with his head hung. "I'm a horrible father. I have no idea what I'm doing. If your mother were still here, I'd…" He trailed off, turning away from all of them. His next words were addressed to Snowy alone. "All I ever wanted was to make sure you didn't end up as miserable as me. It's seems I've failed at even that. If you're happy where you are, you can stay. I'm sorry."

Snowy watched his father disappear into the trees. He almost shouted for him to stop, but the words died in his throat. He wanted to tell him that it was okay, that he forgave him. But did he? He was not sure how he felt anymore. More than anything he felt guilty. He did not think he deserved to be told off like by his friends, it should have been him that he heard it from if anything. He had gotten used to speaking in front of a crowd, but the skill had failed him the one time he needed it most. If not for his friends, he would have just been dragged back to the place he wanted to be less than anywhere else. He thought he had gotten stronger since he had met Ryan and everyone else. Apparently not…

"I should get Sallie." Ruby announced and began to jog back to town.

"How did you just happen to be here?" Snowy asked the Astigmatism who was staring after his father with a satisfied smirk on her face.

Ayame scoffed as if insulted. "Please, I'm always watching you two." She winked at him. It did not make him feel any better.

"Now why do I believe that?"

The other monster threw her arm around his neck. "Oh, quite being so negative. We got your dad off your back, didn't we?"

"I didn't-" Snowy began and then shook his head. "No, you're right. Thank you."

"You're welcome, kid. What are friends for?"

Snowy managed to smile. "You're not that much older than me you know."

"Old enough." The monster enforced.

 

The long way was taken mostly in silence. Ryan tried to get the doctor to talk about what she had been up to since she had disappeared, but she did not bite. Other than that, they did not seem to have much to talk about despite the monster's absence. Ryan himself had done virtually nothing more than trivial during the time, and nobody else had done anything very interesting as well. It did not take him long to catch her up. They made it all the way to the garbage dump before Alphys refused to go any further.

"I refuse to go any further!" she shouted as she stood in the ankle-deep water. The noise caused a pile of trash some distance off to topple. "I can't do it," she went on. "I don't know what I was thinking."

Ryan turned and looked down at the squirming monster. At least she did not try to run as soon as she spoke. He had been hoping he could have at least made it to Snowdin without having to drag her any further than he already had. He had yet to see the doctor use magic for anything other than her work, and he did not feel like angering her enough to find out what she was capable of. "Yes you can," he told her. "It's just four words: 'I like you too.' The rest will be history."

Alphys's hands gripped the front of her dress. "Ryan, I'm glad you seem to think so highly of me, but I'm not that bold. I just don't have it in me."

He could see that a different tactic was necessary. "What are you going to do then, the next time you see her? Pretend you never got the letter?" The way her eyes snapped back up to his; that seemed to get the monster to see reason. He pushed on, holding up his fingers. "You have three options at this point: you ignore the letter and ruin your friendship, you lie and tell her you don't feel the same way and _hope_ you don't ruin your friendship, or you tell her the truth and both of you are happy.

"She already told you she likes you. Do you really think _anything_ you say or do will suddenly make her change her mind? We've already been over this, Alphys. There is no way for this to go badly!"

"You greatly underestimate my ability to screw things up…"

"Am I underestimating, or are you overestimating?" Ryan argued.

Instead of answering, the doctor began to walk away from him. She did not turn back towards the lab, but instead to edge of the stone where the water that flooded the area spilled over the side. The garbage thinned out near it. Two small piles were all that stood to either side of Alphys. The scene reminded Ryan of an altar. She stared down the edge of the waterfall into the nothingness below. Ryan sighed at her stoicism. He found himself looking up at the blackness above the cave and thought back to the day he had fallen from somewhere high above where he now stood. He was being chased by Undyne that day, afraid he would not live to see the next, and now he was trying to hook someone up with her. Things really were different.

"She doesn't like me," Alphys spoke up suddenly, still staring down the rumbling water. "She likes who she thinks I am. I can't tell you the number of times I've lied to her about the dumbest things." Ryan could hear that she was crying beneath her words. "One of those already almost ended our friendship. If she were to find out about everything else, I know she would hate me."

Ryan went over to stand next to her, staring down into the cave as well. "That's all the more reason you should tell her." He said. "I think you'll be surprised with how understanding Undyne is."

The monster shook her head. "I just don't think I'm physically capable of telling her the truth anymore..."

Ryan thought for a moment. "Alright, if you're so unsure of yourself, let's practice."

The monster's head spun away from the dark falls. "Wait, what?"

Ryan stepped back to the center of the pool and onto one of the platforms that floated above the water. "You like to role play, right?" he asked. "Then this should be easy. I'll be Undyne." He tried his best to imitate Undyne's aura of intimidation, he shifted his stance slightly forward to make it look like he might charge at anything any minute. It seemed to work because the doctor shrunk back slightly. He decided to dive in before the doctor had a chance to refuse and he had a chance to reconsider. "What's up, Alphys?" He did not try to mimic her voice. Somehow, he knew she would find out about it and that he would somehow wake up one morning encased in cement. "Did you get my letter?"

Alphys did not try to back out though. In fact, she jumped into it immediately, as if it were natural. Her voice still came out in a nervous stutter, though. "H-hi, Undyne… um, yeah… I did."

"Good. I half expected Ryan to screw this up somehow and something weird happening like you thinking the letter was from him. I guess I should have put my name on it or something."

"Y-yeah w-well, about t-that letter…"

"There something you want to say Alphys? Well, spit it out!"

"I-I, uh, I did… I… um… I… I just wanted to… I just wanted to… to ask" She froze up, unable to go further than that. Her eyes became panicked as her voice became little more than a squeal as she tried to force the words. She retreated in on herself and shut her eyes. "Do you like… anime?" She finished.

Ryan dropped his act. "Alphys..."

"I'm sorry!" The doctor said defensively. "This is hard and weird and I…" She trailed off. Her neurotic energy seemed to melt into melancholy. The doctor turned away from him again. "I told you, Ryan. I just… I can't do this."

"You can Alphys, believe me."

"How can you have so much faith in me?" She questioned. "But you're wrong. I can't just go up to Undyne and… Oh my god, she's here." Ryan turned in the direction Alphys was facing. Sure enough, Undyne was walking up to them.

"Oh no. I can't let her see me like this!" Alphys searched frantically for a place to hide. She dived behind a garbage can just as Undyne yelled out to him, "Hey, there you are!" The monster marched up to him, resolve writ on her face. She was the stock image of a warrior on a mission. "So, I realized something," she began. "If you were the one to deliver that letter I gave, it might be a bad idea." The monster held out her hand. "So I'm gonna do it! Give it back."

Ryan reached for his pocket, but then remembered that the letter was still at the lab. He tried to come up with something quickly. "Sorry, Undyne," he shrugged. "I already gave it to her. I put it under her door and was on my way back before you showed up."

"Did you talk to her then?"

"No, sorry. I didn't even see her." He lied.

Undyne sighed. "Guess I'll go then." The monster walked off in the direction of the lab. Ryan thought it might be smart to stop her before she realized Alphys was not there, and then reconsidered. Undyne spun on her heal before she made it out of the cave. "I'm counting this as a failure to follow instructions, by the way. I'll think of a suitable punishment later!"

"How is this my fault?" He shouted back to her, but she was already gone.

Alphys came out of her hiding spot a few moments later, laughing to herself. "Oh god, that was close…" Ryan shot her a look and she recoiled. "I know! I panicked, okay?" She dropped her head. "Oh, who am I kidding? You want to know why I can't bring myself to tell her? Because I'm not good enough for her. She's way out of my league. She's so confident and strong and funny. And I'm just a nobody. A fraud. I might be the royal scientist, but all I've ever done is hurt people. I've told her so many lies… She thinks I'm a lot cooler than I actually am. If she gets close to me, she will find out the truth about me."

Ryan softened his expression. He sympathized with her. He was all too familiar with how she felt. "Alphys you can't give up over something like that." He reassured her. "You don't think someone like Undyne would have already seen through all that stuff? How long have you two been friends?"

"You don't understand!" Alphys took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "Maybe it would be better the other way, to live a lie where we're both happy. Instead of a truth where neither of us are. They say 'be yourself,' but I don't really like who 'myself' is. I'd rather just be whatever makes people like me."

Ryan knelt down before the monster. If he were honest with himself, he had only really been half committed to helping Alphys with her problem, but now he would make sure this would not end in the same place it had begun. "However tempting that may seem," he told her, "it is never something you should give in to. I thought the same way myself a long time ago. Put on a mask and nobody will see you, they'll see who they want to see. But you start to lose who you are, more than just the parts you don't like. And I'd be dead before I let anyone else suffer that if I can stop it."

Alphys wiped another tear away. "You make it sound so easy." She said. "Every day I'm scared. Scared of what would happen if people find out the truth on their own. They'll all just get hurt because of me… It's inevitable… Maybe, then… Maybe it will all go more easily if it comes from me…"

Ryan looked at the monster puzzled. "Alphys, I think we're talking about two different things at this point. What are you-?"

"You _are_ here!" A voice said from behind him. Undyne was back. Ryan turned to try to block Alphys from view, but was too late. "What are you guys doing?" she went on as she joined them on the floating square of wood.

This time Alphys was too shocked to try and hide. Though she looked ready to run to the other side of the Underground at the first sign of an opening. "Undyne!" She said like she had never expected to see the monster again in her life. "I-I was… just…"

"Hey, whoa, wait." Undyne interrupted as she took Alphys in. "Your outfit's really cute. What's the occasion?" She looked between the two of them. Her expression darkened. "Wait, are you two on a date?" Her anger was focused solely on Ryan with that question.

"No." Ryan told her at the same time Alphys shouted "Yes!" but she, thankfully, quickly corrected herself.

"I mean, we were. I mean, actually we were only romantically role playing as you." Ryan practically slammed his face into his hand. _Thanks, Alphys…_ he thought.

The tirade made Undyne blink. "What?"

Alphys was in full panic mode now. "I mean… I mean…" Ryan readied himself to stop her if she tried to bolt, to stop Undyne if she attacked him in a rage, but once more the doctor seemed to calm down in an instant, like someone had flipped a switch in her mind. "Undyne, I've been lying to you," she admitted.

The other monster looked as confused as Ryan felt. "What? About what?" she questioned.

"About, well, everything…" Alphys stepped up to the monster. She looked ready to see things to the end now. "I told you that seaweed was scientifically important, but, really, I just use it to make ice cream. And those human history books I keep reading, those are just dorky comic books. And the history movies, those are just… uh… anime. They aren't real. And that time I told you I was busy with work on the phone, I was just eating frozen yogurt in my pajamas. That time I…"

"Alphys." As she had spoken, the doctor had gotten closer and closer to Undyne until she was practically standing beneath her. The warrior's word got her to stop rambling. She looked down at the doctor with an unreadable expression.

"I… I just wanted to impress you." Alphys went on. "I just wanted you to think I was smart and cool. That I wasn't some nerdy loser."

"Alphys." Undyne said reassuringly.

"Undyne, I really think you're neat, okay?"

"Alphys…" She knelt down and placed a hand on the monster's shoulder. Then suddenly, Undyne picked Alphys up and threw her into the nearby trash can. Ryan thought he could hear **sans** voice in the back of his mind.

"Alphys!" Undyne repeated. Seeming to go on as if her friend being dunked into the trash was a perfectly ordinary thing. But then she almost looked embarrassed. "I… think you're neat too, I guess." She said to the can. "But you've gotta realize, most of what you said really doesn't matter to me. I don't care if you're watching kid cartoons or reading history books. To me, all of that stuff is just nerdy crap! What I like about you is that you're passionate! You're analytical! It doesn't matter what it is, you care about it, one hundred percent, at maximum power! So, you don't have to lie to me. I don't want you to have to lie to anyone anymore." The warrior went over to the doctor and placed her hand on the rim of the trash can. "Alphys, I want to help you become happy with who you are. That's all I've ever wanted. And I think I finally know just the training you need to do that!"

"Oh no," Ryan mumbled. He did not like the look on Undyne's face.

Alphys lifted herself slightly out of the trash can. "Undyne… you… you're going to train me?"

Undyne looked taken aback by the idea. "Pffft, what? Me? I got my hands full enough with this wimp." She gestured to Ryan. "Don't worry, though. I have someone much better in mind."

Then, Papyrus burst out of a pile of trash next to the three of them. He was not wearing his usual 'battle body' but instead wore more of an exercise outfit. When had he gotten there? "Get those bones shaking!" He shouted as he knocked the lid off of the trash can and pulled Alphys out. "It's time to run one hundred laps around Waterfall, hooting about how great we are!"

Alphys looked up at the skeleton in confusion. But Undyne would not give her a chance to come to her senses.

"Ready? I'm about to start the timer?" Ryan had thought for a moment that Undyne had been joking, but she seemed committed to this.

Strangely enough, Alphys seemed to be as well. She shook off her confusion and replaced it with her own resolve. "Undyne… I'll do my best." Still in the dress, she lined up next to the skeleton and they both shot off when Undyne gave the signal.

"That was a bit harsh, don't you think?" Ryan spoke up when they were out of view, then immediately regretted doing so.

Undyne's full attention swung to him. She pointed at him accusingly. "Don't think you're getting out of this!" she told him. "I don't know how you managed to screw this up, but I will make you pay!" She paused, staring at Ryan as if searching for an answer to something. "She was kidding, right?" She asked him softly. "Those cartoons, those comics; those are still real, right?" She had a look on her face that said the wrong answer would mean certain death for most of the denizens of the Underground. "Anime's real right?" She asked again.

Ryan swallowed. He never understood why Alphys had told her that all of those shows were true, and he had never wanted to be the one to tell her otherwise. "Yeah," he said after a moment.

"Why did you hesitate?" Undyne asked frantically. She grabbed him by the shirt collar and pulled him up to her face. "You're not lying, are you?"

"No, I'm not." Ryan said calmly. He was surprised that he actually meant it. "I'm beginning to think that everything is real, somewhere."

Undyne let him go skeptically. "Fine," she said. "You're off the hook for today. I'll decide what to do with you tomorrow."

"You know," Ryan began. He placed a hand on his sword. "After today, I think I'm looking forward to training more so than I have been in a while. Why wait until tomorrow?"

He thought she would jump at the opportunity immediately after everything that had just happened, but Undyne just looked at the sword strapped to his waist. She seemed to be trying to puzzle something out in her mind. "If she can do it, then so can I." She mumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ryan inquired.

The captain of the Royal Guard looked him straight in the eyes. "There won't be any training tomorrow." She told him. "You don't need any more."

Ryan stared back at her in disbelief. "Are you saying…?"

"You're ready." She finished.

The words seemed to knock the wind out of him. He did not know how to feel. The day he had been waiting so long for had finally come. He should have been excided, nervous, maybe even scared. But he was just… confused.

"Why?" he asked. "Why now? We haven't done anything in over a week. I haven't learned anything for much longer than that. Hell, I hardly feel like I've improved in over a month. So why now?"

Undyne looked away from him after that. She stared down the same fall that Alphys had. "I'm sorry, Ryan. The truth is I thought you could have held your ground against Asgore months ago." She admitted. "I kept thinking that I should tell you, but so much else was happening that I always found an excuse not to."

Ryan looked at the monster's back in shock. No, that could not be true. She was just saying that to make him feel better. But that was not how Undyne worked and he knew it. But, if it was true… He clenched his fist. He felt rage boil up inside of him and he fought to keep himself under control. "Why?" he demanded through gritted teeth.

"Honestly, I was afraid." Undyne said, still refusing to face him. "I tried to tell myself otherwise, but I couldn't bring myself to trust someone with as much power as you, not completely. I still believe you weren't lying when you told me you had no intention of hurting Asgore, but I kept thinking to myself what if he changed his mind? It would be so easy for him. And then you just kept getting stronger, so strong that you wouldn't even need to change your mind for something bad to happen. I thought I was being smart and protecting everyone, but after what happened in the city, I realized I was wrong to hold you back. I'm sorry. I meant to tell you sooner but then Alphys happened, and…" She shook her head. "No excuse. What I did was wrong. I hope can forgive me."

"Forgive you?" Ryan practically spat the words, no longer trying to hold back is anger. "Do you have any idea what you might have done?"

Undyne turned to face him. "Ryan, I-"

"All this time, I was supposed to be somewhere else! But you've had me sitting on my ass playing pretend in the forest while all matter of hell might have brewing in the background ready to explode in all of our faces!" His voice quivered with fury. How could he have been so foolish?

Undyne took a step back. She actually looked frightened. And rightfully so. "Ryan, I don't understand."

Ryan took a step forward. "No, you don't. That's the problem."

"I thought you were happy!" She shouted. "You were there, Ryan. Laughing; having fun with all of us. Are you trying to say that you'd rather none of that happened? I thought we were your friends!"

In a flash, Ryan was before the monster, sword extended out in front of him, the point poised millimeters from Undyne's remaining eye. The monster looked shocked for an instant but then it turned into grim acceptance. "So, it's like that then?" the monster said remorsefully, "All this time, everything that's happened, and you're going to throw it away just like that?"

Ryan held her gaze, and then he roared, pulling the sword back to strike. Undyne closed her eye, she did not try to dodge or to stop it; she couldn't bring herself to. She merely waited. She heard the sword hit something, but there was no pain. Curious, she opened her eyes and saw the sword embedded in the stone between her feet. Water lapped around it as it tumbled towards the fall. Ryan was still staring up at her. His eyes glowed red, just as they had in the city. "We're done here." He growled and turned his back to her leaving her sword behind.

"What are you going to do?" She had to ask.

"I will do exactly what I meant to do when I started. And I'll do whatever it takes to do it." He kept on, not looking back.

"If you hurt anyone, I will come for you." She told him. It was not a threat, it was a promise.

"I know," he said. "I'm counting on it."

 

Ryan walked through the streets of Snowdin feeling numb. He felt like he was lost in an unfamiliar place, trying to fumble his way back to somewhere he knew, something that would bring him back to the right path. He could not believe he had been deceived, and for so long. He had no idea what to do now, just that he could stay there no longer. Perhaps something could still be salvaged from this madness if he acted quickly.

A part of him registered Ruby walking up to him. She was smiling and saying something to him. He ignored her; he would not be held back by anything anymore. That had been his first mistake, but he would make sure it was his last.

Ruby was walking alongside him, speaking louder; he did not register any of it. A hand on his arm finally pulled him back to the world. "Are you listening to me?" Ruby asked, pulling his gaze to her's. "I just got done talking with Sallie. You should see Snowy; he could really use you right now."

"Go away." Ryan said, pulling his arm from the monster's grip.

He started to walk away. He could feel her questioning eyes on his back. "Ryan? What's wrong?"

Ryan spun around looked Ruby straight in the eye. "What's wrong is that I no longer have time for you."

His words only worked to anger her. "What the heck is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I've finally come to my senses." He told her. "I've done nothing but waste away here. No more."

"Ryan, you're not making any sense. What is going on?" The fire monster pleaded.

Ryan wanted only to be gone from there. He had wasted far too much time already. He told her the truth. "That day when we met in Hotland, I was running; running from here. I realized that what I sought couldn't be found in this town, it could only be found at the castle. But when I was nearly there I realized I wasn't ready yet. The only reason I came back was so that I could be ready when I tried again. And now I've learned that I should have already been long gone…"

Realization flashed across Ruby's face and she lowered her head. "She told you."

His eyes widened. "You knew?" his voice dripped with venom.

The monster nodded nervously. "We all did, more or less." She shook her head and her strength seemed to renew itself. "We wanted you to stay with us!" she shouted in her defense. "We thought you were happy here."

"No!" he denied. "You were just being selfish!"

"Were we? Or are you just too dumb to see that what you found here is better than whatever you think is waiting at the castle?"

Ryan clenched his teeth, biting back what he was going to say next.

"We're not blind, Ryan. We all know you've been keeping something from us. Maybe if you tell us we can help you see that-"

"No," he interrupted. "It's my burden, not yours, not anyone else's, and it changes nothing." He turned his back to the monster once more, but she was not finished yet.

"Ryan, we're your friends. We-"

He was before her in an instant, much as it was with Undyne. He held her by the collar of her coat, pulling her up to his gaze as if lifting a feather. She grunted against his grip. Ryan fixed her with a hard stare. "I don't need friends." He said softly.

Ruby was not looking at him however, she was looking at the hand that gripped her shirt; she looked at it with the greatest fear he had ever seen from her. "R-Ryan, p-please." Her words shook with that fear. Ryan looked down and saw why. A cold cloud of mist surrounded his hand: an ice spell ready to be unleashed; small crystals already started to form on the monster's jacket. And suddenly what he was doing crashed down on him like a bolt of lightning. He let Ruby go and she crashed down into the snow.

He took a step back trying to make sense of what he had almost done. He could not remember forming the spell, why would he have? He had almost… The fire monster still looked up at him fearfully, the equivalent of tears welled in her eyes. He reached out to the monster. He felt tears streaming down his own face. He felt like his soul was being torn to pieces. "Ruby, I-"

The monster flinched away from him, crawling backwards in the snow to put as much distance between them as she could before scrambling to her feet and running back in the direction of her house.

Ryan let his hand drop. His heart pounded, his mind was fogged. A growl caught his attention and he looked up. Monsters gathered in the street around him. They had all seen what had just happened. They looked at him with a mixture of shock and anger and once more the reality of it all crashed down on him. He fled from the town himself and went to the only place he could think to go.

 

The doors to the ruins seemed to loom over him more than ever, judging him as if they had Toriel's ear and would tell her of all his sins. He looked up at the rune carved into its surface and then down to his hands. "What have I done?" He asked the rune. Tears fell down his cheeks still. He did not know if they had stopped at all since he had run from the town. "It's all so wrong." He clenched his hands into fists and shut his eyes from them. "I should have ended it when I had the chance, whatever ending I got would have been better than this."

Ryan felt the air stir and nearly lashed out at whoever had dared to follow him here, but he held himself back. Guilt panged through him that the thought had even crossed his mind. A moment later, Sallie stepped out of the trees. "So you are here," she said flatly. Ryan turned away from her, unable to face the monster with everything that had happened.

"Ruby told me." She said simply; she need not say more. "What happened, Ryan? What could make you do that?"

"Because I'm a human, isn't it obvious? You should have never trusted me in the first place." He told her.

"I don't believe that for a second. I know you too well, Ryan. You're not capable of something like that."

"Maybe you don't know me as well as you think."

"Stop that!" Sallie shouted. "Stop trying to push me away, damn it. Just talk to me. For once, tell me what's wrong."

Ryan let out a breath and gave a solemn smile. "I should have never come back. I should have kept going until the end."

"Then you would have just gone off to your death."

Ryan looked up at the doors once more. "Yes, I would have."

"That's why you came back, wasn't it? To avoid that?"

"I came back because I was unsure. I was afraid."

"Well, do you have your answer now?"

"I do."

"What are you going to do then?"

"You know what I was going to do." He told her. "You might have tried to deny it, but you knew."

Ryan could hear her footsteps as she walked up behind him. She paused. "You really were planning on killing yourself for us, weren't you?" Sallie almost choked on the words.

Ryan kept his back to her. "It's not that simple."

"How could you think to do something so dumb?" Ryan could tell by her voice that she was crying, and he hated himself even more.

"There's more to it than that." He said.

"What do you mean there's more to it than that? Were you going to do it or not?"

He turned to her at last. There was a long silence before a quiet "I was."

Sallie shut her eyes and shook her head to try to escape this madness. "I can't believe you, Ryan. What on earth made you think _that_ was the right answer?"

"If everyone can't be happy, then why should I be?" He said without hesitation. Sallie looked up at him. The look in her eye reminded him of the day in the city. She took a step back involuntarily. "If I can give up myself knowing that it would improve the lives of everybody, than I would do it in a heartbeat."

Swallowing, Sallie shook her head again. "You _idiot_." Ryan's strength shattered at the words. "How could you honestly think killing yourself would make everyone happy? What about your friends? What about Papyrus, and Snowy and MK, how much they look up to you. What about Whimsalot and Froggit? What about me?" Her anger rose as she went on. "Are you really going to stand there and say to my face that I'm better off without you? You're more important to me than anything else. I don't care if we're stuck under this mountain forever. I don't care if everyone hates you or me, or all of us. If it means I can keep waking up next to you, that's all that matters. And I thought you felt the same way."

Ryan's eyes dropped to the snow, his hair covered them so he could no longer see. The world before him "Sallie," he said without a quiver in his voice, "you _are_ better off without me. In the end, I cause nothing but trouble."

"You don't mean that!" She screamed, running up him. She tried to grab his arm and get him to look at her but he turned away again. "After everything we've been through, you can't mean that! God dammit, Ryan, what are you not telling me that's making you think like this? It's eating away at you, can't you see that? Please!"

He looked up at the sealed doors to the ruins with a longing she could only barely understand. Softly, he said, "A long time ago, a human fell into the ruins. Injured by its fall, the human called out for help. Asriel, the king's son, heard the human's call. He brought the human back to the castle. Over time, Asriel and the human became like siblings. The king and queen treated the human child as their own, and the Underground was full of hope."

Sallie cut him off. "What does the dead prince have to do with this?" she questioned angrily.

Ryan looked to her at last, the fierceness back in his eyes, and once more they glowed red in the darkness of the forest. "Everything." He said firmly.

Sallie let her arms fall; she stepped back from him. "After all this time, wondering, worrying about you, this is all I get? Some half-assed lie it sounds like you spent ten seconds coming up with? Is that really all I'm worth to you?"

"I've never told you anything but the truth, Sallie."

"Oh, what a load of crap! The prince has been dead since before I could speak, since before you were born! What could he possibly have to do with this?"

Ryan sighed. "This is why I didn't want to tell you." he said almost humorously.

"So, you're really sticking with that then?" He said nothing. Sallie shook her head once more. "I can't believe I wasted so much time on you." The rabbit monster turned to leave, but stopped short. "Goodbye, Ryan. I hope you're able to achieve everything you've hoped for."

Ryan still said nothing. He stared up at the rune carved deeply into the stone doors that towered over him. He stayed like that for a long time, until he was certain Sallie was gone and back in town. Then, he screamed.

He screamed away all his pain and his anguish, all of his rage and confusion. He screamed until his voice cracked. Tears streamed down his face to freeze on the snow beneath his feet. "Where are you, flower!" He shouted into the trees. "Isn't this the part where you tell me how wrong I was to try to make something for myself? How stupid I was to try to change things? Huh?" His voice faded among the trees and only silence met him. "Come on! I'm right here! Show yourself so I can kill you and end this once and for all!" He waited, panting in his rage and exertion, but nobody came.

He fell to his knees in the snow, sobbing once more into his hands. "Why did I leave?" He said to the doors. "Why didn't I just stay with you and be happy? How could I have messed everything up so badly?"

Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He ignored it, continuing to let his tears fall. The phone rang again, and again, until finally Ryan wiped away his tears and answered. "What?"

"Howdy!" Papyrus opened. "If it isn't my good friend, who trusts me. This is Papyrus. Your also mutual friend."

"Papyrus, if you want something, just say it. I'm not really in the mood at the moment."

The skeleton then sounded more than a little nervous. "Well, you see, Alphys and I finished our training today early. Very early. So I sent her home. Very home. Now, I feel strongly and for no apparent reason that you should also go… there. To her lab… house. I have only good feelings about this."

"Why? What happened?"

"I have absolutely no idea. But since you've seemed to have taken on the role of the Underground's resident problem solver, it may be more up your alley to deal with."

Something clicked in Ryan's head at that moment. It made his heart skip a beat as the picture came together. His eyes widened as, slowly, he got to his feet. "You're right," he told the skeleton. "I'll see what I can do."

He tapped his phone off and turned away from the doors. He did not look back.


	33. Moth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been a long time coming, in more ways than one.
> 
> Before we begin, I'd like to say this. There are three chapters of this story that are named after songs that I implore you listen to. The reason being that these songs, in part, wrote this story, and I feel they will help you get into my head and into the story better than you would without them. This is the first. The song is Moth, by Hellyeah, and you will not be disappointed.
> 
> Also I feel I should mention, this is not in any way an April Fool's thing. Don't worry.

Ryan stood before the lab for the second time that day. At one point, that would not have been out of the ordinary. But for some reason, that time it felt wrong. Unlike his last visit, the door slid open as he stepped up to it. Beyond it was only darkness.

"Alphys?" Ryan called as he stepped inside. There was no response.

It was quiet. The constant buzzing he had grown to associate with the lab was absent. Looking around, Ryan found that to be because it seemed like nothing was on. Aside from the lights above, the computer at her desk and the giant monitor next to it were dark, the escalators up to her room were off; the air vents were not even on. "Alphys!" he tried again. His voice carried eerily through the large room. The changes to it made the place almost feel foreign to him.

After no answer came a second time, he began to search, only to find that none of the doors further into the lab would open for him. He dismissed his first thought of trying to force them open. It was unlikely that she was anywhere beyond them. If the doctor wanted to be alone, she would not block off access to the whole lab, especially not for him. Was Alphys even there at all? She had told Papyrus that she had come back here, but had she?

The place felt like it had gone to sleep, hibernating until it was to be awakened to its purpose once again. That feeling carried weight, like it would be a long time before its hour came again. But this was also Alphys's home. Where else would she go besides here?

He went back to her desk to search for any signs she had been back. The desk was still cluttered with stacks of paper, but the dim light made it somehow look cleaner, as darkness often did. He scanned the table. The note from Undyne he had placed there was gone. In its place was a new note, one written in the same scratchy hand as all the rest. He picked it up and tried to make it out.

_Hey,_

_Thanks for your help back there. You guys… Your support really means a lot to me. But… As difficult as it is to say this, you guys alone can't magically make my problems go away. I want to be a better person. I don't want to be afraid anymore. And for that to happen, I have to be able to face my own mistakes. I'm going to start doing that now. I want to be clear. This isn't anyone else's problem but mine. But if you don't ever hear from me again, if you want to know "the truth." Enter the door by my desk._

Ryan looked up and noticed for the first time that the door to Alphys's "bathroom" was open. He couldn't remember if it had been before. He went back to the note.

_You all at least deserve to know what I did._

There was nothing else.

Ryan folded up the note and put it in his pocket. He did not want anyone else happening across it. Not yet.

He went to the doorway. It was not a bathroom; he knew that much to be true already. It was an elevator. There were no buttons he could find as he entered, and so he waited. After a moment the door slid shut and he could feel himself start to descend.

His heart began to race. The moment the door closed he felt like his fate had been sealed. He should have run; he knew it. He should have gone back to Snowdin, begged forgiveness from his friends and come back with them, but he had to be sure. He could not go back until he was certain he was right; that what he thought was happening actually was.

He held a hand out to the wall to steady himself, but the elevator came to a stop and the door hissed open before anything happened. He hesitated. If he was already beginning to doubt himself, that did not bode well.

He stepped out into a hallway that was even dimmer than the lab was above. He started to form a light, but the moment he began he noticed that it felt… wrong. The air felt dead, he noticed. Its normal buzz was gone and something else had seemed to take its place, something he could not quite name. It was like the energy around him he seemed to behave differently than it should. He did not like that, and so he undid the spell. Magic did not seem like the best idea here. He could see well enough anyway.

He began making his way down the hall until he turned a corner. The hallway opened up into small and empty room. Two more hallways branched off to either side and a door sat in the wall opposite him. The only other thing in the room looked to be a vending machine that was not only off, but the glass covering the front was cracked as well. It looked like something had slammed into it.

He opened his mouth to try calling out to Alphys again, but as he did, the vending machine made a _thunk,_ cutting him off. He went over to investigate. A bag of chips was in the dispenser – at least, he thought they were chips; the label was misspelled. It must have been knocked loose by something and just then decided to fall. Not knowing what else to do with them, he placed them in the pocket of his shirt. If worst came to worst, and there really was something wrong with the magic around him, it was good to have a backup energy source.

Straightening, he looked down the hallway to his left. He figured it was as good a place to start as any. The hallway was lined with doors, most of them were locked. A little ways down, though, he found one that was open a crack. He pushed it in with his foot before cautiously going through.

It looked like an office. The small space was occupied mainly by a number of shelves and cabinets. A computer, similar to the one Alphys had upstairs though with significantly more grime covering it, sat on a desk against the far wall. It was on. The old CRT monitor glowed in the darkness, producing a low buzz. Ryan went over to it. He sat down in the chair next to the desk and began investigating. A single row of icons lined the left side of the screen. The names for all of them were made up of scrambled text. As he clicked on them, a prompt for an encryption key came up. It was the same for all but one, which opened up to a text file immediately. It looked like a journal. The passages were each a few fragmented lines superseded by a corresponding number. He noticed that some numbers were missing but the ones there were all in order. He started to read.

1: This is it… Time to do what the King has asked me to do. I will create the power to free us all. I will unleash the power of the soul.

This must be Alphys's. Ryan thought. It was not exactly new information to him, but he did not like finding it here. There was still quite a bit more. He read on.

2: The barrier is locked by soul power. Unfortunately, this power cannot be recreated artificially. Soul power can only be derived from what was once living. So, to create more, we will have to use what we have now. The souls of monsters.

Ryan swallowed. He could feel his heart start to race. He knew he should not have come here on his own, but it was too late. He kept going.

3: Extracting the soul from a living monster would require incredible power. Besides being impractical, doing so would instantly destroy the soul's host. And, unlike the persistent souls of humans, the souls of most monsters disappear immediately upon death. If only I could make a monster's soul last…

4: I've been researching humans to see if I can find any info about their souls, since the results of my own examinations has proved to be harder than trying to find a needle in a haystack the size of the Underground. There turns out to be very little written on the subject that is more than superstition or made-up horror stories, and the three sources that still exist that are otherwise capable of providing information have not been very forthcoming so far. The king seems to think I can do my job without having to dig up the past. But that's not important right now… I ended up snooping around the castle… and found these weird tapes. I don't feel like Asgore's watched them. I don't think he should.

Tapes.

Ryan got up searched around the room for them, but all of the shelves and cabinets were empty. There were not even spider webs in any of them. Somehow, that was even more disconcerting than everything else so far.

Finding nothing, he went back to the computer.

5: I've done it. Using the blueprints, I was able to extract it from the human soul. I believe this is what gives their souls the strength to persist after death. The will to keep living, the resolve to change fate. Let's call this power "Determination."

Ryan clutched at his chest. Determination. The name he had taken to giving his strange power had more significance than just that. He had almost forgotten. He read on.

6: We'll need a vessel to wield the souls when the time comes. The core and machines might work for storing magic, but soul power requires something alive. But what to use, then? After all, a monster cannot absorb the souls of other monsters. Just as a human cannot absorb a human soul. So, what about something neither human nor monster?

The next entry was missing. Ryan searched around the document to see if had somehow ended up at the end. It was simply gone. He kept on.

8: Experiments on the vessel are a failure. It doesn't seem to be any different from the control cases. Whatever. They're a hassle to work with anyway. The seeds just stick to you, and won't let go. I'm beginning to think that these things are more weed than anything else. I'll have to think of something else, though.

10: Asgore asked everyone outside the city for monsters that had "fallen down." Their bodies came in today. They're still comatose and pretty soon they'll likely to turn to dust. But what happens if I inject "determination" into them? If their souls persist after they perish, then… Freedom might be closer than we thought.

11: Undyne came by today. It had been a while since I'd seen her. She told me about rumors of another human popping up; to be on the lookout. She looked like she'd rather be anywhere else but here. I couldn't blame her. Who would want to be stuck in this dreary place? There's something else. I don't know why I did it. Maybe I was fed up with nothing working properly, or maybe all this lack of sleep is finally catching up to me… I gave Undyne a dose of the determination. Slipped it into her tea. I needed to know. I need to know if what I've found actually does anything, because so far it has not.

He paused. He had not been expecting that. Could Alphys have really…? Curious, he kept on; there was still more.

12: Things aren't going well. None of the bodies have turned into dust, so I can't get the souls. I managed to rework one of the scanners to be able to try and figure out what was going on. Using myself as the control, I was able to learn that their bodies had somehow been altered by the determination. Studies to try to discern the nature of the differences has thus far been… inconclusive… Just like everything else… I told the families that I would give them their loved one's dust back for the funerals. People are starting to ask me what's happening. What do I do?

13: Nothing is happening. I don't know what to do. Nothing I do changes anything. Why am I even trying anymore? Every day I find more and more reason to just stay. Why not? _**How easy you forget.**_

Ryan blinked and reread the end of the last entry. It had not said that a moment ago, he was sure. In fact, the whole thing seemed out of place. It did not match up with any of the rest. And those last words, something about them was familiar.

The screen suddenly flashed with static before resolving into an image of himself. He was standing in front of a wooden table and staring determinately at something he could not see. "I'm going to save your son," he said.

Ryan jumped back, knocking over the chair as he did. The screen was back to normal before the chair could even clatter to the floor. "How the…" he breathed, not taking his eyes off of the screen. He realized he was shaking and forced himself to stop. That had been him, during his last day in the ruins. How it was there made no sense. No one but him should know about it, let alone be video of it.

He waited for something else to happen, but the room plunged itself back into silence as his heart rate steadied. Hesitantly, he went back to the computer. All of the icons on the desktop were gone now. The journal was still open. The entry he had read was gone; a different one was in its place.

13: I met a human today. A real, living human. He just collapsed into the lab. Even after watching him for as long as I did, I could still barely control myself. Everything else aside, I managed to examine him and I realized I had been wrong up to this point. Not entirely, more like I hadn't brought the thought far enough. The soul interacts with a human body much the same way that it does with a monster's, only magnitudes more intricately. This requires an insane amount of energy to accomplish, much more than I had anticipated after examining the other souls. Maybe that's the missing piece to getting the determination to work. I'll try it before he wakes up.

A noise from out in the hallway made him turn away from the screen. It sounded like a whimper. Ryan took hold of his resonance without even thinking. Luckily, it seemed unaffected by whatever strange taint covered the magic down there. He strained his hearing to make out anything else and hoped it had simply been his imagination.

It was not. After a moment, he heard a soft click, and then another. They were getting closer. He went to the door and pressed himself against the wall next it, trying to peer through the crack to see what else stalked this place. The sound continued to grow closer. It almost sounded like footsteps, slow and lethargic though they were. A shadow crossed the crack and then…

He could make out little more than a pasty white blob through the crack in the door, but he did not dare open it any wider. It was barely as high as his thigh and it moved as slow as its footsteps implied. The whimper came from the figure once more, and then it spoke, its voice sounding like several overlapping each other, "Snow…y…" it said softly before it disappeared from his view.

Had he heard right? Snowy? It could not have been talking about him. That made no sense.

Then he remembered: Snowy's mom had supposedly died, but they never got any dust back. Could it be…?

Ryan threw the door open, but the hallway was empty. He caught a glimpse of the figure right before it disappeared around a corner. How had it gotten over there so fast? He followed after, rounding the corner only to catch it right before it vanished past the next. He could not lose it. He continued to run after the figure through several more hallways before the figure disappeared into a doorway.

He pulled up short before following it further. They had passed by countless other rooms, both open and not. Why this one? He looked back the way he came and realized he was lost. He had not been keeping track of which way the figure had brought him at all. Silently lecturing himself for the mistake, he turned back to the doorway. It was too late to give up chase now, he decided.

Ryan hesitated despite himself. He could not understand why he was so reluctant to go inside. He had yet to see anything in the world of monsters that warranted such fear, and yet something about that place unnerved him. That journal had not helped, and neither had that video. He pushed it aside. There would be time to question that later.

He stepped inside. It looked to be some sort of examination room. Several devices similar to the one he had once woken up under his first time in the lab were arrayed against one wall. Each of the tables beneath were empty, as was the rest of the room. There was no sign of the figure he had followed there, and there were no other exits but the door behind him. He had lost it, somehow.

The sound of dripping water echoed through the room from a sink against another wall. It was somehow more unsettling than the silence had been before. He walked up to one of the examination tables. Unlike everything else in the room, these seemed almost sterile clean, like they had been used just recently. There was a crack in the wall next to one of the machines that looked recent as well. It did not look structural, to his knowledge. It looked more like something had hit it. Hard. The dripping sound was beginning to grate on him.

He went over to turn off the faucet, but it broke off as he turned it. Water began to erupt from the broken knob, soaking him. And then it stopped. Ryan thought that perhaps the water was off as well as the power. Then, he saw why it had stopped. The faucet and the broken knob looked like they had been plugged up by white putty. As he watched, the putty bubbled up out of both. It began to pour into the sink, filling it until it threatened to overflow. Then, a small trickle seemed almost to reach out of the sink and began to flow to the floor. The rest of it followed, draining the sink and forming a puddle on the floor. Instead of spreading puddle rose. Ryan stepped back and took hold of his resonance once more. The mound of putty split into three and then began to resolve itself. What it became was like something out of a nightmare. A multitude of faces rose to the surface of each of the creatures. They all had the look of melted wax and held an expression that made them look like they were moaning in agony. The faces writhed, none of them lasting more than a few moments before fading into obscurity and then swirling into a different face.

Ryan's heart thundered in his chest. Every instinct told him to attack. These were no monsters. They were something else. And yet they made no move against him. A noise suddenly peeled through the air, like a dialup tone but as loud as a plane flying right overhead. He covered his ears and flinched away from the sound. His head rung as it passed. The creatures had not moved; he was not sure if it had come from them.

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out, thinking it was Alphys or someone else who had discovered what he had done in town. Anything to bring a measure of sanity to this situation. The space for the caller ID was filled with nothing but garbled text. He answered it anyway.

"Quite the life you've found for yourself, isn't it?" A voice on the other end said as he brought the phone to his ear. It was his own voice. "You would have never even dreamed of finding it at one point," it went on, "for more reasons than one. But is it really your life to have, or is it someone else's?"

"What are you talking about?" Ryan said to the voice. He kept his eyes on the trio of creatures. They still did not move.

The voice on the other end became several. All of them sounded like his own. They began talking over one another, "None of this is real. Could it really be the same place? This wasn't meant for me. I don't need friends! I just let the people around me down… Why am I still here? They're better off without me… They're better off with him."

Ryan threw his phone away. It hit the wall, breaking into several pieces before falling to the floor. He looked back to find the creatures gone. His panic was beginning to rise. He was starting to doubt everything that was going on in that place. They had replicated his voice before they had even heard him speak. It was like they were in his head. He did not want to think about that. Something was going on here, something deeper than he originally expected, and he did not like it one bit.

He left the room, wary of any more surprises. It was time to find Alphys and get out of there. He felt that, but he couldn't convince himself of it. There was still so much to that place. What else was it hiding?

He continued down another hallway, half looking out for any of the creatures he had seen before. He came across a door that was unlike the others he had seen so far. It was metal, like the ones in the lab above, but it was not automatic. He gave the handle a test shake and it opened. Inside was a large room, several rows of what looked like cabinets that were taller than him formed half a dozen aisles down to the other end. Wires spread through the room like a jungle, connecting the boxes to one another. Small red and green lights occasionally blinked down the aisles.

It was a server room, if Ryan had to guess. From the lack of noise coming from it, it must not have been on. There was single monitor sticking out the side of one of the cabinets, a keyboard sat on a tray below it. The monitor was on. Ryan went over to it.

Two lines of text sat in the corner of the otherwise black screen.

_Backup power initiated. Please resume primary power in order to access._

_Diagnostic tools: Available._

Ryan experimentally hit enter on the keyboard. The message repeated below the first.

_Backup power initiated. Please resume primary power in order to access._

_Diagnostic tools: Available._

He decided to try something. He typed a single word into the console.

_Help_

A long list of commands filled the screen accompanied by a short description of how each of them functioned. He rolled his shoulders and smirked to himself. "Looks like school's finally paying off." He joked.

A few commands later, he had a list of all of the data properties for the machines in the room. He scanned it for anything useful.

_Number of physical drives: 640_

_Active Drives: 598 [type CHKDSK for individual drive status]_

_Last drive accessed: T:\_

_Date of last access: ERROR_

_Total storage used on drive: 1.8E12B_

_Storage available on drive: 0.19E12B_

_Total storage used on all drives: 68.76E18B_

_Total storage available: 30.11E18B_

Ryan stopped and reread the last two lines, making sure he had them correct. He did the mental math and gaped at the result. The amount of the data on the machines was immense, far more than it should have been considering that most of the technology looked like it was from the late nineties. Hell, it was a lot even on modern technology.

Ryan wondered at what information could be stored within. It was far more than he had expected to find. He felt that he had to find out, to know for sure. But how was he to turn the power back on? He had no idea where he was let alone where it could be. He tried to search the database for a map. It simply gave him another message about power needing to be restored before he could access the files. He would just have to keep searching.

He decided to try making his way back to the entrance, perhaps somewhere there was a map that he had missed, otherwise he felt like he might end up wandering the dark far longer than he would have liked, which at this point was anything longer than another minute.

When he was younger, he had been almost deathly afraid of the dark. An overactive imagination placed every bad thought he could conjure up in every shadow. It had been quite a long time since it had been anywhere near that bad, but this place was quickly making his shoulders itch, and that familiar instinct to start running was becoming harder and harder to ignore.

It wasn't long until he was merely moving between hallways at random again. He silently cursed himself for not watching where he was going when he was following that thing. Undyne would have been ashamed of him. He pushed thoughts like that aside as he came across another open room. This one was filled with beds, evenly spaced across the floor. Most of them were made up, but a few had the covers thrown back. Thankfully, even those looked like they had not been touched in a long time. The crumpled blankets looked stiff, the sheets wrinkled. The only other things in the room were dog bowls. They sat beside a few of the beds, empty. Ryan recalled a bag of dog food next to Alphys's desk above at some point, but there was nothing to be gleamed from that. Nothing new, anyway.

Two other doors let out of the room. He picked the one closest to him. The room beyond made him pause. It was narrow, little wider than a closet, but one of the walls was made up completely of mirrors which made the room look larger than it truly was. The other wall was lined with pots of large, golden flowers. That feeling to run grew stronger, but he managed to push it down. There was no way he was here, he told himself. These were just ordinary flowers. Still, he found he could not take his eyes off of them as he made his way to the other end of the room.

It was a dead end. Ryan sighed to himself and turned around. That was when he noticed something off about his reflection in the mirrors: it was too short. He looked back to see that the reflection was not him at all. It was a child. At first he thought it looked like him when he was younger, but then he realized he did not recognize the kid at all. The child's expression was confused, as Ryan guessed his own must look. Ryan raised a hand to the mirror and the kid did the same, a reflection would have. But, as he touched the mirror, the child began to melt. Ryan jumped back. Color seemed to leach out of the reflection as it melted until it was the same pasty white as the creatures he had seen before. It seemed to retreat from something as it began to resolve itself: his actual reflection.

He spun, meeting the creature just as it finished solidifying behind him. Had it actually been covering him? He pushed the thought away. The thing that stood before him looked almost like a bird, nearly as tall as he was. Parts of it seemed to change as he looked at it. The eyes and mouth seemed to not want to stay constant. With this one, the more he looked the more he could have sworn he could pick out traits of monsters he knew. Astigmatisms, Whimsuns; the similarities were unsettling. The creature let out a sound, half a chirp and half a sigh.

"What are you?" Ryan managed to ask it once he found his voice.

"What… are _you_?" It asked back, practically speaking over him. Its voice was high pitched, almost musical like that of the river monster's. It also had the same quality as the one he had seen before where it sounded like multiple voices talking at once.

"A human," he told it after a moment. He figured there was no point in lying.

The creature tilted its head to the side, as if it were confused. Then it raised one of its wings, looking as if it might fall off of its own body, and pointed at him. "Sloth," it said.

"What?" Ryan questioned.

"That… is your sin," it explained. "Apathy. Waste. Sloth."

"What are you talking about?" he demanded.

"Your pain… and others… is a result of your… inaction. It has been so… all your life."

Ryan suddenly felt hysterical. He had no idea how these creatures seemed to know so much about him, but he had had quite enough. He laughed softly. "This is a joke right? Some kind of prank being played on me?

"No joke." It said. "No time. You must… learn. You must… see."

None of what it was saying was making any sense. "See what?"

"You come… seeking. No time. Learn your… mistakes. Go… to the end."

The creature seemed to have trouble speaking. But he thought he was beginning to piece together what it was saying. His hand clenched into a fist. "If that's the case, then after your friend, I thought you'd have something a bit better than that to say to me. I already figured that out long before I came here. I've done what I can to fix that. It's done now."

The creature shook its head. "Still."

Ryan's mouth split into a line. "Then unless you're going to tell me what I should do, leave me alone."

The creature shook its head again. "Only you."

"I've tried!" He shouted, failing to fight back his anger. Why was he letting himself be lectured? This was nothing new to him and he heard it enough from himself that hearing someone else say it again after so long was infuriating.

"No. Not enough," the creature argued. Ryan opened his mouth to argue more, but the creature seemed to fold into space before he could say anything more, leaving Ryan alone. He looked back at the wall of mirrors, the reflection was still his own. He then looked down at the pots of flowers. They all seemed to mock him despite being nothing more than plants. He wanted to burn the lot of them, but held back.

"They're just monsters," he told himself, trying not to think about the conversation he had just had. Of course they were monsters, he thought. What else could they be? They are the only things that existed in the Underground. But that did not explain how they seemed to know so much about them. Perhaps Alphys blabbed to them a little too much and they didn't like what he was doing any more than any other monster seemed to nowadays. Yes, that had to be it.

This place was leaving him with more questions than answers, and everything that was happening was making him lose his nerve. He should not be getting like this. Questioning everything, jumping at everything. He had been living in a world of magic and monsters for almost a year now. Nothing should surprise him anymore. But the silence of this place, and those strange creatures; the hallway had seemed to grow narrower with its passing. He needed to find his answers, find Alphys, and get out of there. If only he knew where any of those things were.

He made his way back to the room with the beds to try the other way. When he reached it, he did a double take. Had some of the blankets moved? He tried to recall how the room looked before he had left, but he hadn't been paying enough attention. More mistakes. He moved on, careful to watch his back. He did not think anything was a serious threat to him here, he was just sick of surprises.

As he reached the end of the hall, it split into two. Down one way, the whole thing looked like it was ready to collapse. The walls, ceiling and floor were all extremely cracked. None of the damage looked recent, however, as the cracks looked to be covered in some sort of mildew.

He decided to try the other way first. A little ways down, he thought he saw something in the shadows, a part of something bigger in the room ahead. What he found made him stop.

It was some sort of machine. Nearly twice his height and suspended from the ceiling by thick cables, it looked like the giant skull of an animal. Wires wormed their way through two openings in the front that were difficult not to compare to eye sockets. It was not simply the machine that gave him pause, however. The thing looked almost alive. At times when he was looking over it, he even thought he saw the parts he was not looking at growing skin. He forced himself to look away, searching instead for a way forward so he could be away from the machine. Then he looked back again.

It _was_ growing skin.

No, something else was forming overtop of it. Ryan did not care for the difference. He lashed out at it with a wave of fire, ignoring the wrongness of the magic around him. Whatever was growing on the machine immediately jumped into the air. It seemed to consume the fire before it landed in front of him.

A sword was in Ryan's hand as it hit the floor. In a mixture of panic and anger – panic at the entirety of everything that had gone one since he came down there, and anger at the fact that it was making him feel as such – he swung at the blob before him. It receded away from his sword as if repelled by it and he hit nothing. Ryan spun for a follow up, enveloping his sword in flames as he did. This time the attack hit, his sword went through it with almost no resistance. Or so he thought.

As he brought the weapon back in front of him, he noticed that half its length was gone. The end was pockmarked like it had been eaten away by acid. He let the sword fall away as the creature took on a new form, and prepared for whatever came next.

The white blob reshaped itself into an almost serpentine form with a large head and too large eyes. As they took him in, its head split revealing a mouth filled with jagged teeth. It looked far more threatening than the others had. This time, the creature spoke first. "Hasty, wouldn't you say?" Ryan put up a shield between him and the creature. It slithered through the spell as if it were not there at all. "Though, I suppose it should not be surprising," it went on, chuckling to itself. "How easy you forget."

"What do you want from me?" Ryan demanded angrily. He pushed down his fear, but could not stop himself from taking a step back from the creature as it drew close. The thing was easily taller than him and looked more than capable of swallowing him whole if it wanted.

"Do you really need me to tell you?" it deflected. "Have you truly become so lost that you can't figure it out for yourself?"

"You've been leading me around since I got here, haven't you?" Ryan argued. "Obviously there's something you want from me. Well, why not just say it and save us both the trouble?"

The creature sighed and looked away. Its too-wide smile did not slip, however. "So naïve…" it said before looking back at him. "You want to know so badly, fine. I want you to stop running, to stop lying to yourself."

More vague answers. "What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean." The creature slid closer to him again. Ryan thought he could see anger in its eyes. "You think you are searching for an answer, but there is nothing to find, because you already have everything you need." Ryan opened his mouth but the creature cut him off. "You know what you need to do. You've known from the beginning. And yet you pretend that you do not. You've lied to those around you so much that you've begun to believe it yourself."

"No." he denied. There was no way this thing could know so much. How could anything so casually drag up all of his secrets and throw them in his face. Yet still, it was wrong. "I thought I knew what I needed to do, but now…" Ryan squeezed his eyes shut. "Now I don't know what I want."

The creature looked at him consideringly. "Conflicting goals have clouded you mind, true, but what you don't see is that they are one and the same. One cannot come without the other."

"Then what do I do?"

"I said, you already know."

"No, I don't!" he argued. "But you clearly do, so stop wasting my time and just tell me!"

The creature backed away. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way." It told him. But, perhaps your friends could help you see. Despite your best efforts you have not lost all of them yet."

Ryan shook his head. "They have nothing to do with this."

"They have everything to do with this, or have you truly forgotten? They play just as much of a role in this as you do. Everything has been set up as it should, the path has been laid out, and they cannot be cast aside so easily."

"This is different." Ryan said. "My friends… I've spent months making it so I could do it on my own. So they didn't have to…" he paused. "What do you mean everything is as it should be?"

The thing smiled again. "Don't tell me you deny that everything is still the same."

"It not. How could it be? I'm here, aren't I? It has to be different then. I'm here, and I never… I never…"

The creature's grin widened. "Are you so sure?"

"I don't have that power." Ryan said adamantly. "Even if I did, I refuse to believe that I would just forget everything!"

"You overestimate your own will power. But, you are right; you do not have that power. You have not deluded yourself that far. But that simply means there is still more to come, and while I do hope that all of your… preparation serves you well, that does not change that what you are denying is the truth. And it is the path you must take."

"No, I refuse to make the same mistakes. There has to be something I'm missing, something to do differently. Otherwise what's the point? Why even go through all of this if I can't even save him in the end?"

"Thinking like that will doom this world." The creature said flatly.

"I don't care about that!" he yelled. "I _will_ save him. It's the only thing that ever mattered. And I will not go until I'm sure that I can do it."

The creature just continued to gaze into him for another moment. "Then you are on your own," it said before jumping up to the ceiling. It squeezed itself into an unseen crack and disappeared.

"Wait!" Ryan called after it, but it was no use. "Damn it!" He cursed and punched the wall next to him sending out a cloud of dust and concrete chips. He looked down at his hand after. There was not a mark on it. When had that become an excuse for him to lash out so easily? When had the lack of threat to himself become enough reason for him to start attacking things that had not yet raised a hand to him?

It had all come too easily to him; the fighting, magic, the power. It had become the outlet for his frustrations; a way to push his doubts and his problems aside. Would he start fighting just to avoid his problems?

_Yes,_ he thought. The city. That had been the first example. He had been lucky then, he feared he would not be the next time. You could not let emotion rule you when fighting, or using magic. Undyne had tried to beat that lesson into him along with all the others. Had he not even been listening? She said he had been ready; he was beginning to believe he was nowhere near.

That creature had said time was short, but he did not trust it. There was no way it could know so much about him. He had no idea what angle it was playing. It could want him dead; it could be tricking him into making the wrong decision. He decided not to listen to it, not until he knew more. Getting a handle on his emotions, he spared one last look for the towering machine, and moved on.

The room connected to one other. It was lined with shelves full of binders and notebooks. Some of the books were hand bound and looked hundreds of years old. Others looked more recent. Between two of the shelves, against the far wall, there was a TV that sat atop a small table. A VCR sat in front of it. The shelves on either side of the table were filled with unmarked tapes. A small pile sat next to the VCR with a piece of paper on top of them. Ryan went over to the TV and picked up the paper. It read,

_Asgore, we both thought we knew what happen back then, but these tell a different story. You should know the truth. I'm sorry._

There was nothing more. Ryan looked down at the pile.

_I found these weird tapes._

Ryan put the first tape into the VCR. As it booted up to play, he turned to sit with his back to the screen. He knew there'd be nothing to see. Instead, he closed his eyes and tried to picture it.

The tape started and Toriel's voice played through the old television's speakers. "Pssst. Gorey, wake up." She whispered

He heard a groan, "Mmm? What is it dear?" a deep voice said. He had not heard the king's voice before, but he could think of no one else it could belong to. "Why do you have that video camera?" he went on.

"Shush!" Toriel told him. "I want to get your reaction. Gorey dearest, what is my favorite vegetable?"

There was a short pause. "Carrots, right?"

"No, no, no! My _favorite_ vegetable is… ede- _mom_ -e. Get it?"

There was silence and then the sound of a bed creaking.

"Go back to bed, dear."

"No, no. Not yet." She giggled. "Now, if I were a dog, what breed of dog would I be?"

By that point, Asgore just sounded like he was humoring her. "I don't know, honey. What kind of dog would you be?"

"I would be a _mom_ eranian." That time she laughed outright.

"You sure are excited to have this child." The king said once she calmed down. "You know if you keep making jokes like this, one day you could be a famous _mom_ edian."

There was another pause. "Well, I am going to bed." Toriel said matter-of-factly.

"Hey, come on, Tori! That one was funny!"

"I know. I am just teasing you. Goodnight, dear."

"Goodnight, honey."

Ryan tried to picture them settling back to sleep again, smiling with excitement at the future. "Oh dear," Toriel's voice came again. "Perhaps it is too dark in here for the video to come out." The tape ended. Ryan stood up and put the next one in before resuming his position.

He had never heard the next voice in the video before, but he also knew whose it was instantly. The thought brought tears to his eyes before he could stop himself. "Okay Chara, are you ready?" Asriel was saying. "Do your creepy face!" There was silence for a moment before he heard the young monster let out a playful scream and then break out in laughter. "That was a good one, he said, still giggling. "Good thing I didn't forget to take the lens cap off this time."

What?

The tape ended before he could turn around to see it. He stood up and hit the rewind button in the VCR. He had not heard wrong. When he hit play again, the black screen he had expected was instead filled with the scene of a courtyard in the ruins. He recognized it. He had gone there many times himself to read. "Okay Chara, are you ready?" The camera swung around and refocused on a young child with red eyes as bright as gemstones. They seemed to glow as they looked at the camera. The child closed their eyes. When they opened them again, their face turned into the creepiest smile he had ever seen. It almost seemed unnatural. But the look vanished as Asriel started laughing and the child laughed along with him. Ryan's mouth hung half open in disbelief. The video ended. He put in the next one.

This one was not black as well. It showed the same child, sitting against the tree in front of Toriel's small home. Ryan noted that the tree still had leaves on it back then. "Howdy, Chara!" Asriel said and the child looked up from a book. "Smile for the camera!" The child started to do the same look as last time, but Asriel cut in. "No, silly, just a normal smile." The child's face softened for a moment, but the smile vanished quickly. "Hey, what's wrong?" Asriel asked. The child said something as their gaze turned back to the book in their lap. Ryan could see their mouth move, but the microphone on the camera did not pick it up. "What? Oh, yeah, I remember." Asriel said in response. "When we tried to make butterscotch pie for dad, right? The recipe asked for cups of butter, but we accidentally put in buttercups instead."

The child said something else, still looking at the book. Then Asriel gave a dry chuckle. "Yeah, those flowers got him really sick." he answered. "I felt so bad. We made mom really upset. I should have laughed it off, like you did…" The young monster trailed off. "Where are you going with this?" The child looked up at Asriel, their face full of grim determination. They said something else. "Turn off the…" he was cut off as the child spoke once more. Ryan was able to pick out those words: _please, Asriel._ "… Okay," he said. The video ended. Ryan put in the next one.

The screen showed the front of Toriel's home in the ruins this time. The camera looked like it was on the ground. Leaves covered part of the image and made it slightly out of focus. "I… I don't like this idea, Chara." Asriel must have been sitting against the tree next to the child. Ryan couldn't see him. "What? No, I'm not… Big kids don't cry." There was a slight noise when Asriel went silent that time. Ryan was almost sure it was the other child talking, but he still could not make anything out. "Chara…" Asriel said softly, concern and sadness heavy in his voice. There was more background noise after that. "Yeah, you're right…" The prince said finally. "No! I'd never doubt you. We'll be strong. We'll free everyone. I'll go get the flowers." The video ended in a blur of colors as the camera was being picked up off the ground. Ryan put in the next tape.

It was Toriel's voice that came this time. "Chara… Can you hear me? We want you to wake up…" This time, the screen was dark, Ryan could just make out that the camera was pointed at the floor.

"Chara! You have to stay determined!" Asgore said next. "You can't give up. You are the future of humans and monsters…"

There was silence broken only by the clicks of the camera moving every so often for a while until the video swung up to show a bed. The camera must have been thrown onto it. There was a figure, the child, wrapped in blankets on the bed. Ryan could barely see their hair sticking out from it from that angle. He saw as Asriel leaned over the bed to whisper to the child. "Chara, please… wake up…" Tears streamed down the young monster's face. He shook his head vigorously. "I don't like this plan anymore. I… I…" The blankets stirred and the prince's emerald eyes went wide. After a moment, he stood up straight, nearly all of his sorrow gone. "No," The doubt and fear was gone from his voice. "I said… I said I'd never doubt you. Six, right? We just have to get six… And we'll do it together, right?" The blanket wrapped mound did not move again. Asriel stood there for a while longer in silence before reaching for the camera. The video ended. There were no more tapes.

Ryan found that he too was crying. He clenched his teeth in aggravation. It was not fair. None of it was fair. Gathering himself, he turned to leave, more determined than ever. In his way stood the creature. Its eyes once more stared through him. It did not smile this time. "Out of my way." Ryan told it. He stared down the creature, unafraid.

"Is that what you needed to find?" It said. "Now that you've seen him, will you go?"

"I was always going to go." Ryan said adamantly.

"Then why haven't you yet?"

"Because I can't let it end the same way!" Ryan shouted. He gestured to the TV behind him. "He didn't deserve that. None of that was his fault, and it's not fair that he's the only one who suffers for it. But I can't go, not until I'm sure I can save him."

"There are no assurances in this world." The creature told him. "If people did not take chances, we would still be living in caves." The creature looked around the room after saying that, seeming amused.

"What are you?" Ryan finally asked.

The creature turned back to him. "What indeed," it said, chuckling. "Just another lost soul, searching for a purpose. Though, the purpose I search for is not my own."

"What do you want from me?" He asked again. "You tell me to go now, but you won't say why or what I'm supposed to do."

The creature's gaze hardened. "Haven't you learned the consequences of your apathy by now?" it asked. "The opportunities it cost? How it almost landed your friend in jail? How it almost killed _her_?"

Ryan went stiff. His anger forgotten. "How do you know about that?" it said softly.

The creature chuckled again. "I know everything about you. You could even say I know you better than you know yourself." It slid over to the TV and picked up one of the tapes before going on. "It's not much of a story to tell, is it? Privileged childhood, happy family; never knowing trouble until you outgrew the ability to learn how to properly cope with it, to separate yourself from it.

"It wasn't until high school that you learned that the world wasn't fair to everyone, when you learned that all of your friends had one darkness or another forced upon them. And that was when that cancerous thought latched itself into your mind: 'why should I have this happiness if it is denied to others?'

"Was it worth it? Creating your own misery because you thought it would somehow balance out the universe? Was it fun watching your life slip away from you while you denied the fact that your 'plan' wasn't working? Did it never cross your mind to share your happiness with those who could not find their own? They resented you, did you know that? For throwing away that which they could not even grasp themselves, how could they not?"

"You don't know anything about what happened back then." Ryan said in denial.

"I know everything!" The creature roared back at him. It slithered up until it was an inch from his face. "And now you're here. And you're wildest dreams have come true; everything that you once thought impossible is yours. Yet still you make the same mistakes as before. You throw away everything you have because there is one who cannot find that happiness. You reject your hopes and dreams thinking the world will simply give them to another, but it doesn't work like that. Do not abandon everything thinking it will simply fall into his lap. Bring him into your happiness. Let it become his as well as yours."

The creature retreated back as if it had just realized what it was doing. "Do you understand now?"

Ryan looked away from the creature, trying to process everything it had said. He could not deny that it was right, but still he had his doubts. "Can I really do it?" he asked.

"There is no one else."

"But-"

"Even if there was someone else, would you really trust them to do it? Would you even want them to do it?" The creature's mouth twisted into a smirk. "No, you want this path for yourself. Perhaps that is part of the problem. It had made you too invested. It has made you afraid of failure."

"Of course I'm afraid! I only have one chance."

"Perhaps… but then that's all the more reason to give it everything you have. Not everyone in your position has been fortunate enough to know what comes next. It's really a shame that you are thinking so narrowly. Do you really still plan on giving yourself up?"

"It's the only thing I can do. He needs a soul to come back, and I'm the only one willing to give it. Besides, this story was never mine anyway."

The creature laughed. "But it is now. And you have more of a role to play in it than that."

"But what else could I possibly do? Everything I've tried so far has simply ended up the same, or has been so screwed up that I don't what will happen now."

"You've gone back to thinking that what was possible before is all that's possible now. If that were the case, then there would be no point in trying at all. But, there _is_ a chance. This story does not need to end the same way this time."

"How?"

"Start by letting go of what you think you know. Stop trying to resist the path you were meant to take. You will not find your answers outside of it. Stop looking at what is the same, and start focusing what is different."

"What _is_ different?" Ryan asked.

"Everything. You never were very good at thinking outside the box. But, fortunately, it won't take much of that this time around. But you should learn, soon, or what will come next will be difficult for you indeed. But first, you need to succeed here.

"Keep. Going. Forge a new ending, do not be afraid to fail. If you do, then you'll be dead, and it won't matter anyway. Others will come along and do what you could not. But remember that you want it to be you. You could never trust this to someone else, so you better try your hardest." The creature turned to leave and he let it go.

He found himself believing the creature. And he took to heart what it had said. There were still many questions, but he thought he truly knew how to find them now. "There's one thing I still don't get." He spoke before the creature could leave. "Earlier, if I tried to stay in one place, that flower would come and force me to keep moving. But he didn't this time."

"He has been… distracted, for the moment." The creature said. "But that will not last much longer now. I knew I could only keep him away for so long. That was why I came first." Ryan looked at the creature's back. "Time is short." It added. "But you're not out of it yet." It began to slither towards the door, but stopped again. "One last thing, you should apologize to you friends. Perhaps they will show you the rest of way forward." Then it melted into the floor and was gone.

A crash came as soon as it disappeared. Ryan ran to the door and poked his head out to see what was going on. It was nothing nearby; the dark hallway was empty and nothing seemed out of the ordinary – if anything could even be ordinary there. As he searched for the source, another crash came, followed by a grinding noise, back where he came. His fear forgotten, he went to investigate.

The sound was coming from further down the ruined portion of the one hallway, he learned. The grinding sound slowed as he approached, lowering in pitch until it stopped altogether. Smoke began to drift out of the hallway as it did. Ryan covered his face as it blew past him. Squinting, trying to see if there was anything else in the smoke, he found that it was still just him and went to see what was wrong. Perhaps Alphys was trying to fix the power as well and ran into a hiccup. He hopped that was all it was.

The frequency of damage to that part of the hallway increased to the point where he was sure something must have blown up inside of it. The walls and ceiling bowed out in some places. Thankfully though, none of it had collapsed or seemed unsteady enough that it would any time soon. Then, abruptly, the damage ended. In one spot the walls were more rubble than not, and the next they looked brand new. A razor straight line separated the two; he supposed it could be new after all. The smoke seemed thicker beyond. It obscured the walls as the hallway opened into a larger room. He hung to the perimeter until he found one of them. The wall, or at least the part of it that he could see, was covered with fans, all of them still.

"These might help." Ryan said to himself. "Hopefully they're not tied into the power for the rest of the place."

He walked to the end of the room, looking for anything he thought might be an on button. The fans were likely a part of the ventilation system down there, perhaps that explained why the air felt so stale. He reached the far wall, which held a promising looking button. He hit it, and after a moment a loud whir started to build up and the smoke began to thin. As Ryan turned, he saw a silhouette in the thinning air. It was large, filling most of the room with its girth. Some of Ryan's fear and anger returned. Weren't these creatures done with him yet? No, that was wrong. There was no point in jumping to conclusions. He did not even know if this was one of those creatures yet. He needed to get a handle on himself.

Ryan took as step towards the unnerving shadow. As it resolved itself, the reality was not much better. At first glance, it looked like a dog, but it was not a dog. Where its face should have been was just a gaping hole from which dripped a strange liquid that looked the same color as what coated the cracks in the walls. Its body was the same pasty white as all the other creatures he had seen in that place so far. He could not help but feel a little disappointed. "What do you want now?" he asked it.

The creature tilted its head to the side, like it did not understand.

"Did you forget to yell at me about something else?"

The creature continued to just stand there. Ryan raised a hand to his head, rubbing his temples to try to stave off a headache. They seemed the one thing his power could not fix.

He noticed, that as he raised his arm, the creature's "face" seemed to follow his movement. Experimentally, he waved his hand back and forth. The monster's head followed. Ryan reached out as if to touch the thing and it started to convulse. It did not seem threatened, though. If he had to guess, he would have said it seemed excited. Maybe it just wanted to be pet. Maybe it was just a dog after all.

Right?

He beckoned it closer, the thing somehow managed to move on six legs, and it bounded towards him. Ever so slowly, he reached out to pet it. It seemed to accept. Ryan patted the monster's head. The monster began to make a noise somewhere between a bark and a moan and then it spun in a circle. It seemed to be waiting for something. He could guess what.

Creating a bone was not that different from creating a sword, magically at least, and he had been able to pick it up during one of the times Papyrus was trying to show MK. He never practiced it though; it felt wrong.

The bone materialized in his hand and he threw it behind the strange dog. The monster caught it before it even passed overhead, stretching a part of its body up to grab the bone. It dropped it back in front of him, now covered in that strange mildew-like liquid. "Good… boy?" He told it without picking up the stick again. The monster flopped onto the ground and he pet it more, doing his best to ignore that it felt like rubbing expired milk. The monster's convulsions increased to the point where Ryan thought he could feel the floor vibrating. Then suddenly it stopped. The dog monster seemed contented. Before Ryan could blink, it was gone.

"Maybe they are just monsters." Ryan said to himself, straightening. "Perhaps a bit… stranger… but still monsters." Wiping his hand on his shirt, though there was nothing on it, he went back to trying to find the main power.

He was still more or less lost, and the place was proving to be massive. He could not keep going like this forever. He needed a map, or something. He passed by several rooms that seemed empty or looked like they had nothing of use in them. He looked for a computer. If that one had been on before, perhaps others still were as well, and maybe they had a map on them. It was a lot to put on a hunch, but he could not think of anything better.

Finally he found a room where a small light seemed to be coming from and went to investigate. The room was mainly filled with refrigerators. In fact, the only other thing in it was another computer on a small table. It looked to be one meant to be wheeled around from room to room. The screen was on, and he went over to it. This one was not filled with garbled text and files he could not open. It seemed normal. He ran a search for a map and looked through the list of files until he found it. The map showed a small red blip for the computer's location, so he did not have to try retracing his steps. Thankfully, it seemed the power room was not far. In fact, if he had just kept going, he probably would have stumbled upon it on accident, but it was nice to not have to rely on that.

Before he could move on, he noticed one of the desktop icons looked familiar. It was the same as the journal on the last one. He could not help himself. He opened it.

14: Everyone that had fallen down… has woken up. They're all walking around and talking like nothing is wrong. I thought they were goners…

15: Seems like this research is a dead end. But at least we got a happy ending out of it. I sent the souls back to Asgore. And I called the families and told them everyone's alive. I'll send everyone back when I get back from my trip : )

Ryan heard a crash behind him. He turned to see what it was, but there was nothing there. Nothing had moved. He went back to the computer.

16: no No No No NO NO NO NO NO

He heard another crash behind him. Again there was nothing. Perhaps it was just something knocking in the ventilation. Yes, it must be. Metal heating or cooling or something. He turned back to the screen.

18: The families keep calling me to ask when everyone is coming home. The letters were bad enough. What am I supposed to say? I don't even answer the phone anymore.

Ryan remembered something. Ever since Alphys had disappeared in the city she not answered any of their calls. Was this why? Did this happen recently then? The crash came again. Against his better judgment, he ignored it and continued reading.

20: I still haven't told Asgore anything about what had happened. He's been so down lately… I don't think he could have handled this. I barely can. What am I supposed to do?

21: I spend almost all my time at the garbage dump again. After all it's my element.

The crash came again. Ryan turned, unable to stand it. He waited. It came again. He caught one of the refrigerators jolt as if there was something trapped inside. He went over to it and pulled the door open. It was empty. He went back to the computer, but there was nothing else. He decided to keep going.

As he passed the fridge, it jolted again. But it was still empty.

He traced along the path the map had shown him until he finally reached the power room. The room was large enough that he could not see any of the walls in the gloom. A small platform was all there was beyond the door. Cables snaked around it. Ryan went to the edge and found that the ground dropped away to infinity. It reminded him a little too much of the core. At the far end of the platform there was what looked like a console that had a large red button on it. Ryan could only guess as for one purpose it could have. He went over to press it, but before he could, he heard a moaning behind him.

He turned to see all of the creatures he had seen before at the other end of the platform. They all stared at him. Ryan was not sure what to do. He tried to look nonthreatening. They took a slow step towards him, like predators hunting prey. Ryan gripped his magic before he could stop himself. The creatures drew closer, and Ryan prepared himself for the fight that seemed to be coming. Why now? He thought. He searched the creatures' eyes for answers they seemed to have none of the understanding they did before. What could have caused that to change?

"Hey! Stop!" A familiar voice yelled. The creatures froze and Doctor Alphys pushed past them, rushing to his side. "Sorry," She told him softly before addressing the other monsters. "I got you guys some food, okay? So go back now." The creatures all slowly retreated to where food must have waited for them. "They get kind of sassy when they don't get fed on time." She said to him again.

Ryan fished into his pocket and pulled out the bag he got from the vending machine. "Must have been these." He told her. He decided to leave the real reason he thought they came to him to himself.

Alphys walked over to the panel to hit the button. Lights began to snap on immediately, revealing a room nowhere near as big as Ryan thought it was. "The breaker must have tripped again." She turned back to Ryan with head lowered. "Now you know my secret." She said, refusing to look at him.

"Was this why you were hiding from us, Alphys?" Ryan asked her. The doctor nodded slowly. "You should have told us."

"I know," she said, "but where do I even start with this? It's all so messed up now…"

"When did it happen?"

She hesitated despite herself. "Right after the buildings collapsed in the city. I got the message while trying to fix Mettaton. I thought that if I made it here fast enough…" She shook her head. "I don't think anything could have saved them."

The doctor took a deep breath. "I guess I should start from the beginning, huh?" Ryan said nothing, and so she continued. "As the Royal scientist, my first job is to try and find a way to break the barrier." From her lab coat, she pulled out an old, tattered note book with several pages marked and countless more bent and wrinkled out of place. She handed it to Ryan. "They are the results of that research." Ryan opened it and began flipping through the pages. Most of it was equations he did not even come close to recognizing. Some of the notes made sense though, and they filled in pieces of questions he had not even thought to ask. He kept flipping through it as the doctor continued.

Alphys started to walk back out of the room and he followed. "We needed a way that didn't just rely on the souls of humans that just happened to fall down here." She began. "So I started to investigate, tried to figure out exactly what it was that made human souls so different from monsters. What I found was… overwhelming. It was a much bigger puzzle than I thought it would be. There's still so much data I need to sift through, and I barely understand half of what I have. Something like the soul is easily a research project for several lifetimes, and even then we may get no closer to understanding them."

The two of them wandered through the halls, Ryan paid little heed as to where they were going. "Finally though, I was able to isolate what I thought were all of the parts that allowed the soul to persist after death."

"'Determination.'" Ryan interjected. Alphys looked up at him curiously. "I found some of your other notes." He explained.

She nodded. "So you already know part of it then. So many ideas popped into my head with what to do with it. They all seemed so good at the time… I was rushing things; I knew it even then, but that didn't stop me.

"I started injecting it into inanimate objects first, but that went nowhere. I needed something else, I needed monsters. Undyne was the first. She still doesn't even know it. It was a small dose; I don't think she ever noticed a difference. It still wasn't enough. I needed something that would strengthen souls as well as make them persist after death, and I had no idea if determination was really doing either yet.

"I had Asgore bring me some monsters that weren't likely to live for much longer. I started small again, just wanting to see if it was enough to make the souls persist. But, then you happened. When you fell into my lab that first day, I had the chance to see how human souls worked in a living body for the first time. It was amazing, to say the least. I recognized the threads of determination doing things I couldn't even put a name to. I watched it fixing you, creating things from the energy around you. I started to wonder if that would work with monsters.

"I started injecting the fallen more and more, studying what it did to their bodies. But they didn't seem to be changing, even when I fed them energy like you. Then, one day, they all just woke up. I had no idea why it happened. I still don't, but I didn't really care. To be honest it was just nice seeing them make it. I wrote it off as a failure deciding to try something else instead once we got back from the city. Then it happened…

"What I failed to anticipate was how determination would work with monsters' souls. In you, that power had the ability to rebuild parts of your body, no matter how large or small. I was a fool to think that it would suddenly do the same for us. It's not the determination that was doing the creating, but the soul itself. Monster souls don't know how make a human body, it doesn't know how they work, but the determination made the souls need to something. It was like conflicting signals. The determination told the soul that there was something wrong, that the body was too weak, so the soul tried to compensate, but not in the same way a human's would. It didn't know how to create more body so it sought more out, transforming itself into something that could integrate with other matter like it. And these amalgamates were the result."

While they had been talking, Alphys had led Ryan back to the machine he had seen before. It looked much less intimidating than it did with the power off. "This is an abominable machine. I should have never built it. The soul wasn't something that was meant to be torn into pieces."

As Ryan stared up at the machine, it seemed to stare back at him. An idea popped into his head. Could it really be that simple? "Alphys, can this machine separate other parts of the soul besides determination?" he asked.

"Theoretically," she said almost immediately, "but it's too dangerous to start picking it apart at random. The soul could be destroyed very easily. Why?"

Ryan smiled. "Because I have a theory, and by what I'm reading here, I'm beginning to think there may be some truth behind it. But you're right, we need to be sure first." He began to pace, thinking. "While I was wandering around down here, I came across this massive database. Is that the data you collected?"

Alphys nodded. "From the scans I did of the souls. I didn't know what to look for so I just recorded everything. But it won't be enough. Souls act differently in and out of a living body. I would need a living human to crosscheck the data before I begin believing any of it."

"If that's the case," Ryan said, turning to her, "then I volunteer."

Alphys looked eager for a moment, but then something seemed to dawn on her and she looked at him, puzzled. "What are you trying to do?" She asked.

Ryan smirked, and then he told her.


	34. ERROR

Undyne rapped her fingers on the table, trying to keep her breathing steady. The dry air in Grillby's always irritated her slightly, but now it was the only thing she could focus on. She forced herself to; otherwise half of the town would have been in ruins by that point. At the moment, a little dry air was the least irritating thing on her mind.

She was not good at patience, she knew that, but she also knew that she was not young enough or naïve enough anymore to think that there were not some things that required it. That did not mean she had to like it, though.

Snowy and MK were arguing about something in the corner by the door. She knew this only because she kept looking back at it. She drowned the two of them out, not wanting to get involved. In the mood she was in, that would not have been good for anyone.

She had not seen Papyrus all day. She knew he had the tendency to disappear sometimes like his brother, but it would be nice if he told her when he was going to do it. She could have used the skeleton there and then. Ever since they had first started 'training,' she had realized he was very good at keeping her levelheaded, if only by being something for her to hit some of the time.

It had been a while since she had seen several of her friends. Funny, how easy that word was now. It was weird having people around who were not just perpetually intimidated by her. At first, it aggravated her, but eventually she grew to like it, perhaps a little too much. She felt their absence strongly, and hated feeling like it was partially her fault.

Her fingers continued to drum on the table, nails digging into the varnish. Grillby would have a fit about that, but at the moment she did not care. In fact, a part of her hoped the fire monster would snap at her. She itched for an excuse to fight, and Grillby had always seemed to her like someone who had a few tricks up his sleeve.

Before that could happen, however, the door to the restaurant opened and the monster she had been waiting for walked in. "Anything?" she asked Ayame as she sat down at the table across from her.

The Astigmatism shook her head. "She's made up her mind," she said. "She's moving back to Hotland over the next couple of days."

Undyne took a breath and tried to keep herself contained. "Are you sure you tried everything?" she asked.

"Everything I could think of." Ayame told her. "I was even obvious about it. I told her none of us wanted her to go. It didn't work."

_So,_ Undyne thought, _he scared her that well._ She had been surprised at how shaken Ruby had been the day Ryan disappeared. And apparently it had been enough for her to want to be as far away from him as possible, regardless of what any of them said. She could not help but feel guilty about that. _You really messed up this time, Undyne. In more ways than one._

"I even tried to get Sallie to talk to her." Ayame went on.

The guardswoman regarded the Astigmatism curiously. "How did that go?"

The other monster dropped her gaze. "Not well," she admitted. Undyne shook her head.

Everything had managed to become quite the mess, and she had been doing her best to try to get things back to as right as she could, but it seemed more and more of the cracks were never going to be filled. She tried to remind herself that nothing lasted forever, that everything changed, but it was hard that time.

"She did give me this, though." Ayame slid a piece of paper across the table. The creased page was unmarked on the outside. "Apparently it was left at her door. She told me it had nothing to do with her."

Undyne unfolded the note and looked it over. She read it through twice, eye narrowing with each pass. "A week. And this is it?" she asked as she looked up from it.

"At least we know he's still alive." Ayame said.

Undyne grunted and looked at the note again. She had recognized Alphys's messy hand immediately, and all it said was that she and Ryan were fine, and that he was with her. It said that they would be gone for a while and that they were working on something important; that no one could bug them. At the bottom, was one line in a different hand – she guessed it must have been Ryan's. It simply said, _I'm sorry._

It left her with more questions than answers. She glanced over at Snowy. He had been pretty shaken himself when he heard about what had happened between Ryan and Sallie. She did not think this news would help make him feel any better. Poor kid… He had already lost one family; he did not deserve to lose another.

She had more than half a mind to just go to the lab anyway and start making demands of her two rogue friends, but she knew Alphys well enough to know that if she said not to interfere, there was a good reason for it.

She did not like any of this. She felt restless. She had to do something. She said as much to Ayame.

"There's nothing we can do." She told her. "At least not now."

"Then what?" the warrior asked, throwing the paper down on the table.

The monster shrugged. "I guess we wait."

Undyne let out a groan. More waiting… Just what she needed.

.

.

.

_CD P:\DT\EXF10W3Y\Data\_

_ExperimentLog_

7: I've chosen a candidate. I haven't told Asgore yet, because I wanted to surprise him with it. In the center of his garden, there's something special: the first golden flower that grew before all the others. The flower from the outside world. I wonder… What happens when something without a soul gains the will to live?

9: The flower's gone.

Ryan turned the screen off as he heard Alphys walking up behind him. "What are you looking at?" She asked him.

He stood up from the desk and took the robe she handed him. "Just confirming something." He told her. "Everything ready?"

She seemed to accept his answer, and nodded in response to his question, but she raised a hand to stop him before he could walk past her. "I know we've already talked about this," she said, "but I need to be sure. This is probably not going to be very pleasant. Do you still want to do this?"

Ryan took off his shirt and put on the robe. "I already made up my mind, Alphys. This is something I have to do."

The doctor looked him over, trying to find the slightest hint of doubt. There was none. "Okay then," She said and beckoned him to follow. Ryan nodded. It was time.

.

.

.

Asgore Dreemurr, The King of Monsters, woke with a start as something tickled the edge of his perception, like a serpent trying to crawl up his back. Age old habits kicked in, and he was on his feet and alert in an instant. He looked around the throne room's vine covered length warily until rational thought finally caught up with him.

He let his guard fall and let out a breath. Of course there was nothing there, what could be? No one had stepped foot in that part of the castle but him in a long time. How long had it even been? He no longer knew. It must have been something in his dreams that woke him. They had been growing worse, as of late. He knew that, yet he could remember nothing about them upon waking. Sometimes, he would get glimmers, flashes of scenes almost too horrible to describe. Strange, that his past would haunt him now, and yet, he did not entirely feel like that was it.

He looked back at his throne. He had fallen asleep in it again, lost in thought. What did that throne mean to him anymore? Nothing, he had decided. Not until he could get back what he had lost.

But, he could never get it back. He knew that fact, yet still…

His eyes wandered to the throne's twin, tucked into the corner of the room. It sat covered by a sheet. It was the last remnant he had of that old life aside from the flowers he spent most of his time caring for, and he could not bring himself to get rid of it, no matter how much it hurt to have it there. Once more, it made him think that maybe he was wrong, that there was still a chance to try something else and maybe even redeem himself.

No. It was too late to stop now, not after what he had started. He would get back what hope for his kingdom that he could. It was all they had left.

Yet, he wanted to give them something more: a future beyond this buried tomb. He knew how to get it but, at the same time, he hoped that day never came. For when it did, he would need to do something unforgiveable yet again.

But at least then it would be done.

The King sat back down on his throne and did the only thing he could. He waited, unaware of the shadow that watched him.


	35. Asgore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: according to Word, it has been 645 pages since we last saw sans.
> 
> Before anything else, it should be noted that before this chapter went up I posted another little tidbit story along the same vine as While He's Gone. Just another short aside that doesn't technically warrant being in the main story. Basically, why I do that is because, when this thing started to show signs of becoming as big as it was going to be, I started mentally breaking it up into parts, and I kind of wanted to supplant that idea with other people as well. So, I have a lot of those trilogy-in-one volumes of books, and in a lot of them, what they'll do is separate the main books with brief short stories that help tie them together. I figured I'd do that too. So as While He's Gone marks the end of 'part one', the new one, A Choice, marks the end of 'part two'. I'd recommend giving that a read first, if you haven't already, but, like its cousin, it is not something that is required before going on.
> 
> With that out of the way, there's one more thing I wanted to point out. While not part of the chapter title this time around, there is another song for the fight you can imagine is coming up quite soon by what the title is, if you've looked at it. I didn't put this there because it just felt… wrong. But, the song in question is Sandstorm, once again by Mick Gordon. It is also the second of the three songs I really hope you listen to alongside their respected chapters.
> 
> Essay concluded.  
> Begin Part 3.

The house was the same, a perfect replica. Ryan could tell the second he walked through the door. It had been easy enough to find, far easier than he had expected. The castle was enormous, but an elevator from the lab led directly to its upper floors, the part he had been told the king made his home. He had crossed an outer wall on his way from the elevator that looked out over the entirety of New Home. He had paused a moment, looking down at it almost reverently. It was a city he never even thought he would get to see, least of all like that. But that was not what consumed his thoughts now.

From the top of the wall, he had only needed to cross a single hallway to reach it. And its familiarity struck him deeply and at once. The stone wall that made up its front had the words New Home carved over the doorway. Stone walls turned to wood within and Ryan instantly felt like was somewhere else.

Inside, the first room was relatively empty. The majority of it was taken up by a staircase. It about-faced halfway down and disappeared into darkness below. A few cabinets and bookshelves hugged the wall besides. Empty picture frames were hung on the wall, as did sconces with lit candles. It was almost exactly how he remembered. He almost expected to be able to hear Toriel in the kitchen, humming to herself as she cooked. But it was silent. More so than that, it felt… empty.

From the book shelves, to the dressers, to the stairs leading to the unknown, there were only two other differences: The first was all of the vases filled with golden flowers. There was one on every surface. They practically suffused the room with their presence. The sight no longer sent shivers down Ryan's spine. He was slightly surprised by that fact, and even more satisfied by it.

The second difference was a note stuck to the banister. Ryan walked over to it and lifted it so he could see.

_Howdy!_ It read. _I'm in the back if you need me. Make yourself at home._

With a breath, he let the note fall and went towards the kitchen. In the dining room, a familiar chair sat next to the fireplace, not too far from the bookshelf. It looked less used yet more worn than he remembered. Then again, it was not the same chair. It was hard to remember that, seeing everything as it was.

The fireplace was dark, and somehow that seemed to lend more to the feeling of emptiness than anything else. Ryan lit his own flame in the space. It did not help as much as he hoped. The new light drank in the room, but something still looked off. The shadows danced in the flame the wrong way, making the place even more foreign that it had been. He tried to figure out what the problem was so he could fix it, and then realized he was only wasting his time.

He went over to the bookshelf and picked a book out at random. The shelves were not very filled, and the book he picked was sitting at an angle to keep others from falling. Weaving a spell to do that job in its place, he took the book and sat down at the table, noting, briefly, that four chairs surrounded it.

The cover was unmarked and made of a thick paper that had been dyed purple. He opened it to find most of the pages blank, all but the first, which simply read,

_To my child,_

_Perhaps you will be able to find in writing what you cannot in words._

_Love, Toriel._

He smiled and returned the book to the shelf, righting it and the others around it.

In the kitchen, he helped himself to some food in the fridge. He could not remember the last time he had eaten anything. It wasn't really necessary anymore, and so it was easy to forget to. But, he still like to eat. He like food, if it was good. And plus, it had been offered to him.

He was not sure why he had to see that the kitchen was empty to believe it, but it did not make him feel as he had hoped.

He left the kitchen and went back to the hall, footsteps echoing on the wooden floor, and went down to the other end of the house, past the doors and to the mirror on the far wall. He looked into it.

His hair had gotten long again; a sign of how much time had passed. It was nowhere near as long as he had once let it get, but longer than he would have liked. He ran his hand through it, and it became as though he had just had it freshly buzzed. No hair fell to the floor, it was simply shorter.

He examined the rest of himself. His eyes were slightly brighter, and more brown than green than he remembered, but other than that, he looked the same. He almost could not believe it. "Despite everything," he said to himself, "I'm still me."

He turned away from the mirror, to the door that would have led to his own room in the ruins. He held his hand out for a moment to open it, but ultimately decided to leave it be.

He passed by what would have been Toriel's room, roped off with a sign that said 'under renovation' on it, and went into the third. He turned on the lamp near the back corner and took it in.

He had not spent much time in this room in the ruins, but he knew everything was in the same place. The dresser, the bin of toys, the pattern on the rug; all the same.

There were two beds instead of one. Each had a box sitting on in, wrapped in white paper and tied with a bow. He went over to the first and opened it. Inside the box was a necklace; a small, heart shaped gem hanging from a gold chain. As he picked it up, the gem started to glow. He turned it over. Engraved on the back were the words, _Best Friends Forever._

He put it on, the stone resting in the center of the light from his soul, and went to open the other box. He pulled out the knife and placed the box on the floor. He lay down on the bed as he examined it. It was plain, but well-made, the blade slightly corroded from age. It was well-balanced and it was still razor sharp. He stayed there for a stretch, turning the weapon over in his hand.

After a few minutes, he flicked his wrist and the knife was imbedded in the wall in front of him. Then he got up and went towards the stairs in the entrance, filled with determination. The knife, he left in the wall.

Below, the house turned back into the unfamiliar castle. A doorway opened up to another parapet that overlooked city. Cloud cover in the world above made everything look grey and hazy. Mist seemed to cover the buildings. It was hardly the weather for a day like that one, but he had put it off long enough already.

Monsters milled about, just as he remembered when he had visited last. There was no sign of the damage he had caused, he was thankful for that. As he looked down, he realized just how far he had come. Over the course of the last year, this moment had always seemed so far away, even during the times he had been so close to where he now stood.

He had been through so much, made so many memories. All of them he would have once thought impossible. But now, there he stood, at the top of the castle. Now it was time to see where everything would lead.

As he made his way on, he thought back on all of those memories, and the people he shared them with; the struggles they went through, and the happiness that came from it all. He had been so quick to reject that, once upon a time. But now, now he knew better. He had learned what he had needed to learn, remembered what he needed to remember. Now he was ready.

With all of his reminiscence, he remembered a story. It was a story he knew by heart; a story that, without, he would have never even began his journey, and things would have gone much differently for him and for everyone else.

As he walked the castle wall, looking up at the towers that loomed over him, he whispered it to himself.

"A long time ago, a human fell into the ruins. Injured by its fall, the human called out for help. Asriel, the king's son, heard the human's call, and he brought the human back to his home."

He could almost see it play out in his head, imagine the young prince going to that place where Ryan himself had once fallen as well. He could hear his voice, trying to comfort them.

"Over time, Asriel and the human became like siblings. The king and queen treated the human child as their own, and the Underground was full of hope."

A pair of figures ran past him, startling him slightly. It was Asriel, and the child he had seen from the tapes. They laughed silently as they chased each other along the wall. It took him a moment to recognize his own illusion magic. It had been doing that more and more lately, if he let his thoughts wander. This time he let it go on as he continued the story.

"Then, one day, the human became very ill, and though everything in their power was tried, nothing could save them."

The child vanished, leaving Asriel on his own. The paIn in his eyes made Ryan's throat tighten. He let the prince's image fall away.

"The human had only one request: to see the flowers from their village. But there was nothing they could do."

Ryan entered a tower. Within, spiral stairs ascended up the inside wall. He took them slowly and emerged on another wall.

"The next day, the human died. Asriel, wracked with grief, absorbed the human's soul. He transformed into a being with incredible power. With the human's soul, Asriel crossed through the barrier. He carried the human's body into the sunset. Back to the village of the humans."

Suddenly, the wall was filled with figures. Monsters by the hundred were crammed into the narrow space. They filled the walls below him as well, and those above. They all looked the same way: to the top of the castle. They were waiting. Waiting for their prince to return.

"Asriel reached the center of the village. There, he found a bed of golden flowers. He carried the human onto it."

He walked through the monsters, recognizing them for the illusion that they were. Often he caught his gaze following theirs. There was something up there, he could feel it; he was close now.

"Suddenly, screams rang out. The villagers saw Asriel holding the human's body. They thought that he had killed the child. The humans attacked him with everything they had. He was struck with blow after blow. Asriel had the power to destroy them all. But, Asriel did not fight back. Clutching the human, Asriel smiled and walked away."

Ryan came upon a place where the wall came to an outcropping of rock nearly twice its width. Grass covered it around a set of stairs that lead up to what minded him of a cathedral. He ascended the steps.

"Wounded, Asriel stumbled home. He entered the castle and collapsed. His dust spread across the throne room. The kingdom fell into despair. The king and queen had lost two children in one night."

Within was an empty space. The stone walls were painted white. The only things inside rested against the back wall. There was a tapestry sewn with the image of the Delta Rune. Unlike the one he was used to seeing, though, this once was red. Candles sat beneath them. There were several dozen. Many were burned down to almost nothing. Only one was lit. Ryan went over and lit another, and then left through the doorway tucked into the back corner.

"The humans had once again taken everything from them. The king had decided it was time to end their suffering. Every human who falls down must die. With enough souls the barrier could be shattered forever."

The barrier. Every monster in the Underground felt its weight. And now, more than ever the days where they were trapped behind it felt as though they were coming to an end. Ryan could remember seeing the hope in their eyes as they talked about it.

"It's not long now," they would say.

"King Asgore will give us hope."

"King Asgore will let us go."

"King Asgore will save us all."

Once more, monsters had a reason to smile, and it pained him to see it be for such a horrible reason, almost as much as it pained them to deny them their hope.

"You should be smiling too," they would tell him when they saw his expression, before they knew what he was and looked at him differently.

"Aren't you excited? Aren't you happy?" they said.

"You're going to be free."

Ryan's fists tightened. "That's right," he said to himself. "I'm going to be free." He came to another doorway. Ornately carved with vines, it looked to be made of solid gold. The walls beyond seemed to glow with light. "Everyone will be free," he said as he reached it. He stopped, not out of hesitation, but as if to affirm the moment in his mind. He looked up at the arch that led into the room filled with golden light. From where he stood, he could see columns rising up to the ceiling. He stepped forward.

"Everyone." He vowed.

 

Ryan entered the hallway. Light filtered in from the large, arched windows giving everything in the room a golden hew. Thick columns cast shadows across the hall, making stripes of darkness across the warmly lit space. He crossed about a third of the way into the room, and then stopped.

"Hello, Sans." He said to the air.

The skeleton stepped out from the shadows of one of the columns. The monster looked oddly serious as he stepped into the light, but it did not last long. He smiled up at Ryan in his usual manner, like he could not wait to tell you a joke he had on his mind. " **so, you finally made it** " he said.

Ryan nodded. "I have." He smiled back at his old friend. "Sorry I took so long."

The monster chuckled lightly. " **that's my line, you know?** "

Ryan shrugged. "To be fair, I figured you would have come back at some point."

" **oh, i've been around** " The skeleton told him. " **keeping an eye out for humans IS my job, after all** "

"Good. Then you already know what I've been up to."

He nodded. " **i do. quite the adventure you had. and now you're here: the end of your journey, finally at hand. in a few moments you will meet the king. and together, you will determine the future of this world. but that's then. this is now** "

Ryan's smile slipped. "You're not seriously going to try to stop me, are you Sans? If you've been watching, then you know that I've kept my promise."

The skeleton chuckled again. " **i wonder about that sometimes** " He stared into Ryan's eyes, smile suddenly seeming a lot less pleasant. " **you see, i've had a lot of time to think, as of late. and i've found that there are a lot of questions surrounding you. but, i know better than anyone that just because you keep a few secrets doesn't mean you're a bad person. this goes deeper than that though**

" **you're strong, kid. too strong; strong enough to make me nervous; strong enough to make me doubt. and i've learned to listen to that doubt. kid, i know you have the best intentions at heart, but i can't let you go on. i'm sorry** "

Before **sans** could even move a finger, Ryan disappeared before his eyes. **sans** looked around, but the room was empty. He braced himself, ready for anything. Then, just as suddenly as he vanished, Ryan appeared in front of him with his arm pulled back and his hand curled into a fist. His face showed no emotion at all; no joy, no anger, no regret, just a look of knowing that he was doing what had to be done. In the instant **sans** had to register what was happening, he knew there was nothing he could to stop it. As Ryan's arm swung towards sans, he readied himself for what would happen next.

But Ryan's swing never landed, instead stopping just shy of **sans** ' face. Around him the wind howled with the power of Ryan's pulled blow. The ground shook and was torn away in places, flying to the far wall as the concussive force of the air drove it into its cyclone. Surprisingly, **sans** was spared from the destruction surrounding him. The walls were cracked, the windows were shattered, all in a cone pointing away from where Ryan stood with **sans** at the center completely unharmed.

After a moment, the skeleton let out another chuckle. " **you've gotten pretty good at that** " he said. " **what was it? illusion, plus the air?** "

Ryan smirked and pulled his hand back. As he did, the cracks seemed to recede from the room, the damage repairing itself. "Something like that," he confirmed.

**sans** nodded. " **it's a good trick, but if I could see through it, you can be sure asgore will see through** -" the monster cut off as a sword leveled with his neck.

"I can assure you _that_ is real." Ryan told him.

**sans** lowered his eyes. " **alright, you got me** "

Ryan let the sword fall away. He stepped up to his friend. "I'm not going to hurt him sans, I'm not going to hurt anyone. Hell, I'm not even going to fight him, if I can avoid it."

" **i know** "

"Then why try to stop me?"

The skeleton shrugged. " **i guess that's just the kind of guy i am. when it comes down to it, i'm not very good at the whole trusting thing** "

That time it was Ryan's turn to chuckle. "I guess I'm not really helping with that, am I? Especially after out last conversation." He waited to see if the skeleton would comment on that, but his friend remained silent. "I am sorry about that, by the way. You're someone I should be able to trust more than most, but I couldn't risk it. I guess even at that point I was already having doubts about making it this far…" He trailed off as he fished into his pocket. He pulled out a small rectangle and handed it to the monster. "Here," he said. "This should answer a lot of your questions. Even the ones you aren't asking." Without another word, Ryan walked past **sans** toward the end of the hall.

" **wait** " Ryan stopped. " **i've been denying it** " **sans** said, " **i denied it even when we were at the restaurant,** **but i know that look: the look like you've seen too much; like you've been through everything a thousand times over and know exactly what comes next. i know that look all too well… i'm not usually one to be so direct, but i need to know. can you** -"

Ryan started walking again before the skeleton finished, cutting him short. When he reached the end of the hall, he raised his hand. It was not a wave goodbye, it was something else. And then, he disappeared into the shadows beyond, leaving **sans** alone.

 

Asgore stood before his throne, as he did every afternoon, tending to each of the golden flowers that had seemingly grown out of nothing in turn. He did so in the same melancholy that always enveloped him during this time.

He did not know why he cared for them as much as he did. They only brought him pain, but he could not make himself stop. His own strange penance for his mistakes.

His rhythmic watering and trimming was interrupted as he heard someone enter. That was a surprise. He took a moment to try to push down his grief and put on a smile. "I'll be with you in just a moment," he told whoever it was without turning around. "I just need to finish watering the flowers."

The king took his time with his work, something like this could not be rushed, and he hoped he was not insulting his guest. They said nothing, but Asgore could tell they were still there, waiting patiently. "There," he said, tilting up the watering can as he finally finished. He turned to the newcomer and smiled his best smile. He opened his mouth to greet them, but the words never left his lips. The watering can fell from his hand as he stared down at his guest. It clattered to the floor, the sound slightly dampened by the blossoms, but it seemed to ring in Asgore's ears louder than a bell. It was like the toll of death himself, and it made him want to weep.

"Howdy, Your Majesty," the newcomer said to the king. He took a bow, and smiled as he straightened. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Asgore continued to stand there, aghast. He did not want to believe his eyes. He had hoped this day would never come, and yet, there it was, his fate, standing in front of him. "You are… a human." He said slowly.

He nodded; the smile did not fall from his lips. "I am," he said. "You can call me Ryan. Or whatever else you'd like, I suppose. The list of monsters who actually call me that is pretty short now that I think about. I either get called 'kid' or 'child' or 'human' so often that I've kind of gotten used to it."

Asgore looked the human up and down, as if to search for some evidence that he was wrong, but there was none to be found. He wore a striped shirt of blue and purple beneath a black shirt that was open at the front. A red light, vaguely in the shape of a heart, sat in the center of his chest. And that was proof enough of what he was. Asgore also noticed that the human wore an amulet around his neck. The red stone on the end hung over his soul. He could not help but feel it was familiar.

"Why are you here?" The king said as he finally seemed find some of his locomotion. His hands rose sluggishly, as if realizing at last that they had dropped the can. He thought about picking it up, but he did not dare take his eyes off of the human.

"Several reasons, actually," the human told him, stepping in from the doorway. He picked his path over to the king carefully, not stepping on any of the flowers. The king fought the urge to move back, to strike now and be done with it. But this human had not come to him like the rest, and that made him curious. More than that, though, he would not do himself the injustice of breaking even more of his vows by killing the human in the garden. It was only an ancient instinct that made him nervous, but this human was no more threat to him than the rest were. He could tell just by looking at him. "But first I would like to apologize." The human finished.

The human now stood before Asgore, who blinked as he was pulled from his thoughts. "Apologize?" The king said. "For what?"

"For taking so long to get here," the human answered. "I didn't mean to, but," he trailed off as he looked up at Asgore, and his eyes widened slightly. "God, you are the size of a Space Marine…"

"What do you mean, 'for taking so long to get here'?" The king said, drawing the human from his digression.

The surprise left the human's eyes, and it was replaced by a calm resolve that made Asgore want to weep again. He knew that look, and it made him think that this would end up like the last time. He hopped that it would not. He could not take that again.

The human looked around, at the flowers covered nearly every inch of the floor in the long room. Vines wound their way up the throne next to them and crawled up the walls and onto the ceiling. Light shined in from widows on the wall behind the king and in the ceiling. Asgore remembered that someone had once described it like a scene from a fairy tale. He believed this human must have been thinking the same thing. "I've been down here a long time now," he said, "and once, I had almost made it here before, but I turned back. There were a lot of things I needed to learn first."

Asgore nodded, though he did not truly understand. The humans had been down here a while. Where? And how long exactly? Had he been hiding from his sentries this whole time? Why had he not been told of this? He knew the answer to at least one of those questions. The rest did not matter. Or, at least, they would not. Not for much longer. "If that is how you feel," he told the human, "then there is no need to apologize for it."

"I did, and I have," the human said, turning back to him. "Now I can go into this with a clear head."

The human's words worked to increase Asgore's sorrow and suspicion. This human sounded like he knew what he was walking into, and that only made him think even more that history was about to repeat itself. Asgore let out a deep rumble of laughter. It was brief, and not at all humorous. "Would you, perhaps, like a cup of tea?" he offered.

The human nodded. "I would be honored," he said. "I was actually hoping we would get a chance to talk."

The king nodded in turn. "Of course. I suppose you have questions." He said as he moved away from his throne. Tucked into the back corner was small table and chairs along with one of his tea sets. He went to go grab them.

"Not as many as you'd think." The human said to his back. The king turned to regard him. "I already know just about everything." He explained. "Your history, the barrier, the souls."

"Then what is it you wish to talk about?" Asgore asked.

"Still that, I suppose."

He said no more than that, so Asgore continued to gather the things for tea.

He set up the table next to the windows along the one wall with a chair to either side then set the saucers and the cups. He finished by lighting a small flame beneath the kettle and gesturing for the human to sit.

The human did so. While they waited for the water, the human investigated the cup before him. Asgore admitted that it was one of his more ornate sets. It was given to him by an old friend, and its use seemed appropriate in that moment. It was made up of white porcelain and was covered in a geometric pattern of yellow and green. The edges of each piece were gilded. An appropriate gift, from one royalty to another, many would have once said.

The kettle began to whistle, and Asgore prepared the tea for both of them. The human took a sip and looked out the window at the city below them. "It's quite the kingdom you've got here." the human said quietly.

"'Kingdom'" Asgore said like he had a bad taste in his mouth. "I never did like that word." The last was meant more for himself.

"Why's that?"

Asgore looked up at the human and tried to hide the disdain from his voice. It was not directed at him, nor should it be. "It is a human concept," he explained. "It stems from the belief that the many needs to be ruled by the few. I have never agreed with that way of thinking."

"Then why adhere to it?"

"We do not, not really. But the concept had already taken root among monsters long before I took the tile of King. It is a bad habit at this point, more than anything. I have even tried to do away with it, but it never seems to sink in their minds. Monsters do not need a king. They never have, and I've never truly been one. They look to me for guidance, true, but that is all. I do not make laws, nor do I require my people to follow any. They are perfectly capable of managing on their own." Asgore looked out to the city himself. He was still amazed by its size. He would have never imagined it would grow so much. Though, whether that was because he had doubts monsters would ever accept life in this place, or because he feared they would grow to accept it too much, he was uncertain. "They have proven that better than ever, as of late."

"A lot of monsters would disagree with you, I'd say."

Asgore nodded. "I know, which is why I still keep this silly title, regardless of how undeserving it is."

The human was silent for a long moment, taking another sip of his tea. "They miss you, you know." He said after the pause.

Asgore gave a grunt. "I suppose I have been gone a while." He looked up at the human once again. He had not looked away from the widow since their conversation began. He thought the human looked… nostalgic. "How long have you been here?" he asked.

"Long enough," he answered, his gaze still not leaving the window.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that, unlike the others, I did not come here looking for escape." The human explained. "I have been part of this world for almost a year now, and I would like to remain a part of it. So many monsters have shown me a kindness that few humans have ever shown me. They have become a part of my life, and I a part of theirs. And so I come here, on behalf of them and on behalf of myself, to ask that you remove the mandate on humans."

Asgore felt his body cold. So, it was not the same as last time, but it was not any better either. This was not the first human to ask that of them, but he was the first to do it in such a way. He had known this sort of air in very few humans: an understanding that the world does not simply bend to their will. It was… refreshing to see, but it changed nothing.

"I am sorry," the king said solemnly. "To let you walk free would be to deny my people the freedom we are so close to achieving. I cannot condone them to one more day than necessary in this place."

The human gave a faint smile. "I knew you would say that." he said softly. "What do monsters hate so much about this place?"

"You mean, aside from the fact that we are trapped in it?" Asgore let a tinge of his annoyance through with that.

The human looked up from the window at last. "Yes." His expression was genuine; he was not simply trying to rile him. "I've walked through every part of the Underground, and every day I find new wonders within it. You call this place a prison, I would call it paradise.

"Monsters have built a near perfect society. There is no crime, no strife. Everyone walks around with a smile on their face." He looked Asgore up and down. "Almost everyone."

"Monsters are very good at not focusing on the negatives at all times," Asgore argued, "but that does not mean that those negatives don't exist. You say that we have no problems, but we are on the verge of overcrowding. Because of that, all of the problems you listed are just over the horizon for us if we stay here. Who's to say when it will happen? It could be years from now, it could be tomorrow. And if it is not you, it will just be some other human whose soul will be needed to break the barrier. And who's to say when they will come? No, I will not risk the suffering of my people on this.

"Beyond that, what reason do I have to trust you? Humans have proven to my kind time and time again that they are not deserving of it. They have crushed our hopes and dreams over and over again, and now it sounds like you seek to do it again. So if you have only come to try to convince me differently, you will be disappointed."

The human continued to look in Asgore's eyes. His expression had turned blank. At first Asgore thought that was because his plan did not work, but now he was not so sure.

"No," the human began. "I did not come here to try to change your mind. But you do bring up a valid point." The human's eyes turned back to the window again. "Human beings are cruel." He said. "It makes me wonder, why would you want to return to a world that you were nearly exterminated from because of them?"

"Because if we were to stay here we would die. And because we deserve to be a part of that world just as much as you do."

The human nodded, as if in agreement, then said, "But is it one that you are ready to live in?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Humans do not work the same way as monsters." He explained. "They would not simply accept you just because you are able to break free. There is only one thing that gets humans to accept any claim: if there is power to back it up. If you cannot hold on to what is yours, then it may as well not be yours in the first place." Asgore remained silent as the human paused, watching him closely. "You were driven out by the humans once already. They have only grown worse in the thousand years since. You would need power indeed to try to make it now. So I ask again, are you ready to try to live in a world like that?"

"Of course we will try," Asgore said immediately.

"And what measures have you taken to ensure your survival? What steps have you taken? What defenses have you built?"

He was not as quick that time. "The power of seven human souls-" but the human cut him off.

"You're going to rely solely on that? What if destroying the barrier destroys the power of the souls as well? I know your plan, Asgore. It's been told to me by enough monsters. You planned to use the power of the souls to wipe out humanity. You've put all of your eggs into one basket, and it will only work to bring monsters to extinction."

Asgore fought to remain calm, and not only because he was having all of his own doubts spit back in his face, but also because he was letting himself be lectured by one who was little more than a child. He had already chosen his path and affirmed his reasons why. "You speak of a matter of chance just as much as I do." He told him. "Unless you have evidence to suggest otherwise, then there is an equal chance for either."

"And are you really willing to take that gamble?"

"If it means the chance to give my people a better life than this, yes."

"And do you really think that all monsters would feel the same way, if they knew the truth of what might wait for them?"

"I do."

"Really?" the human continued to argue. "Or is your mind simply clouded by the idea of revenge?"

Asgore was caught short. His eyes narrowed in rage that he fought to contain. He would not let this human rile him so. He would not commit even more sins. "Even if that were true," he said, trying to keep his voice level, "it would change nothing. We would die here, if we were to stay. Taking a chance is the only way."

"And what if I told you that there _was_ another way?"

"There is not. We have already tried everything."

The human raised an eyebrow. "Have you?"

Asgore stood up, nearly knocking over his chair as he did. He leaned over the table and locked his gaze with the human. "Enough talk." He said. "Nothing you say will change my mind. It was made long before you came here." The human said nothing, his face remained passive. "You know what must come next."

The human nodded. "I hope you do not expect me to just sit still and die." He said.

Asgore shook his head. "Of course not. You will have your chance to defend yourself, though it is more than any of your kind deserve."

"Shall we do it here then?"

"No." Asgore said flatly, turning away from the table. "Come. First, I will show you exactly what it is that you kind has done to mine."

 

There was a noticeable drop in the pressure of the air, as if they had just climbed to a great height. With it, came a drop in the temperature. It was neatly cold enough for Asgore to see his breath. The air was still and stale and he walked up to the embodiment of his greatest nightmare. "This is the barrier." he said as they emerged from the rock tunnel connecting the castle to the vast chamber where they now stood. The ceiling rose high above both their heads, and its length seemed to go on forever. Light pulsed down the chamber until it was little more than a dot and then it was consumed by the next.

He thought he could feel something pull at him whenever the light pulsed, drawing him to reach out to it. It pulled at the magic around it to feed its insatiable appetite. At the same time, this place felt more charged than any in the Underground. It was dangerous, to fight in such a place, but that did not matter.

Asgore turned to the human. He still stood just inside the doorway, looking around him with a mixture of fear and awe, as he should. He wanted to say more. _This is what your kind left us with: hope, always just out of reach, and therein lies true despair._ But this place spoke for itself. So, instead, he asked, "Is there anything you would like me to tell your friends, after this is done?"

The human was drawn back into the present. He shook his head.

"Is there anything you would like to say, before we begin?"

The human smiled up at him. That calm resolve was back. "It was nice to meet you, Asgore." He said. Then he took a breath and added, "I'm sorry."

The king stepped out to the side, widening his stance. He threw his cape back over his shoulder and held his hand open and out to the side, he dropped his gaze, unable to look at the human's expression anymore. "As am I," he said softly.

Red light flashed before Asgore's hand. It grew and expanded itself into his weapon, a trident that looked to be made purely of red crystal. Without hesitation, he charged at the human, barely seeming to take a step. The king's trust was met with a clang of metal. He looked up to see that his attack had been blocked by a sWord that the human held in his hand. Surprise coursed through him for a moment before another sword appeared in the human's empty hand. Asgore stepped back, blocking the human's return strike, and attempted to throw him off balance before he could make another.

The attempt proved inefficient. The human took a single step and then struck again. Asgore caught the blade between the prongs of his trident and twisted the weapon to hold him there. The king looked down at him consideringly. "It seems you have some skill." He commented.

"I may have picked up a few things," the human said with a smirk.

"It will not be enough."

"We'll see."

The human released his sword and it vanished. The sudden lack of resistance made the king's arm fall forward. The human thrust his other weapon into the opening he had created, but Asgore was too fast. He spun his trident to block the blow with the haft. But the block did nothing to stop the attack. Asgore's arms were forced back at the strength of the impact, knocking him in the chest and pushing him across the room.

He skidded to a halt and looked back up at the human. The other sword was back in his hand and he looked ready for anything that came next. Asgore saw now that there was a familiarity to his stance; he held it with the poise of one who had spent great many hours fighting. And not only that, but he knew magic as well. That was new. It seemed this would not be as simple as he had hoped. But the king was prepared.

The king took a step to the side, and the human mirrored his action. They began to circle one another, waiting for the other to strike first. The human moved fluidly, without jerkiness or awkwardness, and he did not seem to be growing nervous from the tension. Asgore began to spin his weapon in his hand, but the human did not rise to the bait. His eyes never left Asgore's own. Yes, this one was very good. But still not good enough.

Asgore leapt toward the human, closing the distance in the time it took to blink. Had he been anywhere else, the force of his movement would have shattered the ground beneath his feet, but the unreality of the barrier only lent additional force to it. He swung down at the human with the full force of his enhancement magic behind it. If this man thought he could defeat him with a spell he had spent centuries perfecting, he was wrong.

But, the human stopped him as if they were still fighting with their bare strength. The only thing that gave it away was the air as it rushed away from them. Asgore gave him no pause. They exchanged blow after blow. The ring of their weapons clashing and the crack of air pressure that accompanied it did not echo through the room as it should. It lent their bout an otherworldly quality as it dragged on from seconds to minutes. They matched each other nearly move for move, falling into a rhythm of strike and counterstrike, baiting out openings and then taking advantage of them. Their deadlock seemed like it would go on forever, and then, suddenly, the human was gone.

Asgore felt the air stir at his back. Instinct took over, and fire sprouted from the ground creating a wave out from around him. It gave him the time to turn. The human had hesitated, but the fire had not stopped him. He kept coming; Asgore gathered the flame with a thought and sent the ball at the human. It seemed to bend around him, almost without the human noticing. Then the human leapt, and swung at Asgore's head.

For the first time, the king could see into the man's eyes since they began, and what he found surprised him. There was a furious passion to his expression. Not one of anger, but of something else: determination. He had seen that look before, and to see it again after so long was a shock.

The other thing he noticed was that his eyes had changed color. They were now the same red as the glow that shined beneath his shirt. And, for a moment, he remembered something.

The king hesitated, and so when he blocked the human's strike he was not ready. It forced him back a few feet and the human landed on the ground. He waited, taking up stance again as Asgore regained his footing. As the human looked up at him, his eyes were no longer red. Had it been his imagination? No, he could not take that chance. He would have to be more careful from here on out.

"I have to say, I'm a little disappointed." The human began. "I would have figured the King of Monsters would be a bit tougher than this. Right now I'd say you barely hold a candle to Undyne."

Asgore made the connection almost immediately, and cursed himself for not seeing it sooner. He knew the patterns to his movements but had written it off as a product of inexperience, but now he knew the truth.

"So, it was Undyne that taught you all of this," he said dully.

The human nodded. "It was. She was one of the friends I was able to make while I was down here."

"That is a surprise. I assume she did not know what you were?"

"No," the human said. "She did. She helped me because she agreed with me. She sees that the way you are doing things is wrong, and she wanted you to see it too. So she trained me, because she wanted you back."

"Then I hope she can forgive me for not listening to her." Asgore reached out to the magic around him. It was a dangerous thing, in this place, but he had trained for this. Great orbs of fire grew into being around him. They hovered above his head and circled the human. Their heat warped the air. The human had made a mistake: he knew how Undyne fougHt better than anyone.

The human did nothing as the fire came at him. Asgore waited, expecting this, and, just as he thought, the human moved once they were within about a dozen feet of him. That is when he truly struck. Several of the balls of flame shot up, becoming pillars. They turned and shot back down at the human while the rest spread into a wall around him, giving him no escape route.

What happened next, Asgore watched with acuity. The human let his swords drop away and brought his hand up. The fire collided with a wall of ice. The two spells canceled each other out and a cloud of steam surrounded the human. He blew it away with another spell and brought the swords back to his hand.

Asgore smirked. The human was not as strong as he thought, and he had just proven it. The human may know his fair share of magic, but he was limited. He could only use two spells at once. Asgore now knew that he need only overwhelm him, and this would finally be over.

Wasting no time, Asgore charged back in again, weapon poised to run through the human's heart. He felt a brief instant of resistance, as if something invisible tried to hold him back, but it was gone almost as soon as he registered it. The human looked surprised for a moment and crossed his swords to block. Their weapons collided and the human was forced back, but he still managed to keep the strike at bay. The human's arms began to shake after a moment. He had been right; the human had not had the chance to fully reform his enhancement spell.

Asgore readied his next spell, certain it would be the end. Then, the human's arms went steady. "Gotcha," he said.

The space around them exploded with swords. They materialized almost simultaneously with a loud _pop_. There were dozens of them, all pointed at Asgore. The king tried to break away, but he felt a wall at his back.

The human spun, swords becoming wreathed in flame as he did so. His strike descended on Asgore as the swords hovering in the air did as well. But the king would not be caught by something like this. One of Undyne's favorite tactics was luring her opponent in and surrounding them. He released a wall of flame out from himself. It knocked the human back and shattered many of the swords instantly, the rest were blown away where they shattered as they hit the ground.

"An interesting ruse," the king began, "making me think your magic was limited. But you will have to do much better than that."

"Oh, don't worry. I've still got plenty of tricks up my sleeve." The human said confidently.

_As do I_. The king thought.

The two combatants came at one another again. Once more, the human's blades became enveloped by flame. He struck at Asgore with even more strength than before. Heat singed his fur as they traded back and forth, but he ignored it. The king let centuries of training take over as they clashed. Block, parry, counter; search for openings and adjust your attack pattern to throw off your opponent. But the human was just as quick. He adapted with the speed of someone who had been doing this their whole life, and much better than any of Undyne's other pupils. Once more, that look of determination was back in the human's eyes. And this time, Asgore was sure they were red. Yes, this one was definitely strong.

Asgore began to notice his movements slowing. He wondered why. He let an opening in the human's pattern go in order to look down at himself. He saw ice, forming along the joints of his armor. He did not have long enough to question why as the human stuck again. This time, Asgore watched the flAmes as they danced away from his sword. They seemed to morph into something else just before they touched him. Water, he realized. It froze at it made contact with him, trying to inhibit him.

The human seemed to realize his strategy had been found out. His next strike came with more force than the rest, knocking the king back. The next was not meant to hit. It sent out an arc of fire. Asgore spun his trident to try to dissolve the flames, but burning him was not the human's intention.

Like the attacks before it, the fire morphed and then froze as it reached him. His weapon became stuck and then his arms, soon the rest of him would be as well. He was trapped! Asgore tried to think of a way to escape imprisonment. A solution formed in his mind, but dare he use it?

It seemed freezing him solid was not the human's intention either, however. Before Asgore could think, he saw the human's distorted form through the ice charge again. Something else consumed his blade this time. Not fire, but light. It flew from the weapon in a complex zigzag pattern, almost like lightning. The realization came to Asgore a moment too late.

The human's sword hit the ice and it shattered as the light cascaded over it. The light reached the king and he felt his body tense as the electricity coursed through him. It was only for a brief moment, but it felt like an eternity. Then, he fell to his knees. His trident was the only thing that stopped him from falling on his face instead.

He looked up at the human who stared back down at him with calm consideration. He looked no worse for wear than when they had started. Considering how much energy the human had just used, that was impossible.

Asgore was losing, he realized. He had to. To reject that idea would bring it about as surely as if he ran himself through. And he realized why: he was trying to simply overpower the human, thinking he was weak and untrained. It had been so long since anything else was the case that he had let himself forget. But humans will always be stronger than monsters, and he would never be able to beat one who knew what they were doing by meeting them blow for blow. It had not worked in the past, it would not work now.

But there were ways for monsters to beat humans. He would simply need to change tactics.

Asgore inhaled, taking in the concentrated energy of being neat the barrier as he did so, and got to his feet. He picked up his trident. Sending a spike of energy through the magic wrought weapon, it began to reform itself. The haft bent subtly, a grip grew out of it as Asgore reached for it. The prongs came together and then shot out to the side, becoming a curved blade longer than his arm.

It was time to stop fighting like a king. With the forming of his ancient weapon, the title fell off of him like a mask, and he became the warrior he once was. And, like a warrior, he was good at one thing: war. And he had excelled at that like none before him.

The human seemed to regard Asgore's change with indifference. He would pay for that mistake.

Asgore did not move quickly. He lopped like a predator, circling around his prey. The human's gaze remained where he had stood. Asgore came closer, weapon poised at the human's neck. The child still did not notice him.

It was an underhanded trick, one he had learned to use on accident. In battle, feints are one of the most important tactics to employ. Fooling your enemy into thinking they knew what you were going to do was one of the ways to seize victory. This spell worked close to that idea. It invaded the mind, made them see something other than what he was really doing. Striking right while he was really striking left, pulling back when he was really charging in. He hated it, but he would use whatever he needed to here.

He brought the blade of his scythe through the human, but he met no resistance. The human faded away like he was made of mist.

"Two can play that game," The human's voice came from behind him. Asgore brought his scythe up at the very last moment. He threw the human's sword away and spun for a return strike, but the human was already gone. Asgore looked around himself warily. The space was empty; he was the only one there. Had the human run away? No, he could still feel him nearby, somewhere.

"Come on Asgore." The human's voice seemed to whisper in his ear. Asgore fought the urge to swing wildly around him. "Where's that confidence?" The voice jumped to his other side and then seemed to fill the room. "Where's that strength that's going to keep your people safe?"

Asgore saw through the trick easily enough. It was a simple matter to throw one's voice around. It was primarily used to rile your enemies, but it would not work on him. Unfortunately, that did not solve the problem of where the human was hiding.

How had been able to use illusion on him? He took measures to not be deceived by it in fights. Had he been able to overcome those? No, he would have felt if someone were trying to invade his mind. He had not, that meant this was something else.

"If you can't defeat one human," the voice continued to taunt, "What hope do you have against the rest of them?"

The human was suddenly right in front of him, his fist upraised. Before Asgore could react, the blow connected with his mid and sent him spiraling back. He flipped in the air and landed on his stomach. He got back to his feet just as fast as he had been knocked down and winced in pain. He looked down at the armor covering his chest; it had been caved in. Pushing back the pain, he made the armor vanish and then summoned it anew, tying it off before turning his atTention back to the human.

The human still stood where he had reappeared. "Stop holding back, Asgore." He said. "If you don't, then you'll never be able to win."

The human's words worked to anger him this time. He was beginning to think this battle had been going on long enough. He wanted him to use everything he had? So be it.

Asgore charged at the human with a roar. The human raised his hand and Asgore saw the air shimmer for a moment ahead of him. He swung his scythe at the invisible barrier and it fell away. He kept running. The human sent out bolts of lightning next; they sputtered out as they got close to him. Then came a wash of fire that seemed to bend around him.

Asgore reached the human, weapon held high. The human summoned a sword, but it fell to dust as he raised it to block, as did the next, and the next.

The monster watched panic build in the human's eyes as his blade closed in. He tried one more explosive burst of air, but it was useless.

The blade of his scythe bit deep into the human's shoulder. He cried in pain, and then Asgore pulled the blade towards him, ripping through the human's torso. He collapsed at his feet with a wet smack as blood began to pool around him.

Asgore let out a breath as silence settled on the barrier.

It was done.

He knelt down before the human, waiting for what would come next.

This one had truly been strong, as strong as those he remembered from his past. The king felt a pang of guilt. This human had said he wanted to help him. Perhaps, with his strength, he may have been able to…

Asgore pushed his guilt to the back of his mind, burying it deep with all the rest. The human _had_ helped him. By giving him his soul, he would help him do what needed to be done. There was no other option.

A light began to radiate from the human's corpse. It was the light of his soul, as expected, but something was… wrong. Asgore watched as the light began to fill where he had run the human through; he watched as the human's wound began to mend itself.

He jumped back. The light grew, and Asgore heard the human couch. Then, he started to get to his feet. As he rose, for a moment his arm hung awkwardly at his side, having been severed at the shoulder. But, as Asgore watched, the arm rose back into position. Bone mended, then muscle, until there was nothing left of the wound but a cut in the skin, and then that closed as well. The human reached up and rolled his mended shoulder. When he brought his hand away again, his clothing was restored as well. There was nothing left to prove that he had been injured at all but for the blood on his clothes.

Asgore stood frozen in shock. How could this be? Was it another illusion? No, it would have fallen away just like the rest of his magic had. There was no denying the truth. He had killed the human, yet here he stood before him.

"Come on, Asgore. Are you really that shocked? You should remember that humans have a habit of cheating death."

Of course, that was what that was. He _had_ nearly forgotten.

This human was strong indeed.

"Are you ready to give up?" The human asked. "Or are you going to insist that you were still holding back after that last bout?"

Asgore growled and brought his trident back to his hand. "You have not won yet, human." He said. Fire enveloped him with a thought. It snaked across the floor, covering nearly half of the room. Tridents, like the one in his hand again, materialized in the air above him. As he stared down the human, he brought all of the magic he could to bear. It pained him, but he pushed it back. He meant what he had said. He still knew of one weakness in humans that he could exploit: they used magic differently than monsters, and it tired them out more quickly. "You may be strong," the king said, "but you cannot keep this up forever."

The human looked at the ground somberly, and then the determination was back in his eyes, stronger than ever. He brought his hands up to the top of his back. As he pulled them down, his swords sprung into existence once more. Lightning cascaded off of the blades; fire began to envelope him as well. It shifted in color until it was a bright red. He looked up at the king and said, "That, Asgore, is where you are wrong."

They charged at each other once again.

 

**sans** looked down at what Ryan had given him. It was his phone. He turned it over consideringly, wondering if he should ignore what his friend had said and just go after him. Finally, though, curiosity won out. He pressed the button near the bottom of the screen and it unlocked. He had not needed a passcode. He could have sworn he had always seen Ryan type one in. The majority of the screen was black. There were two icons near the top, one was a folder labeled 'Not for sans'. The other icon was labeled Voice Memos beneath it. The picture on the icon looked like a sound wave. He tapped it open. There were numerous files listed in it. **sans** scrolled to the bottom and played the first one, noting that it was dated a couple years back. **sans** heard Ryan's voice come from the phone's speaker. It flatly said, "Where the hell is the mic on this thing?" and then ended. **sans** chuckled and skipped up a bit. Many of the files were named in such a way that they made no sense to him, and likely the recordings would not either. He found one titled 'Day 1.' It was from about a year ago. He played it, and again Ryan's voice echoed through the hall.

"…This is going to sound crazy," he said. "It sounds crazy to me just thinking about it. And, likely, no one would ever believe me if I told them. But I swear this isn't dream, and this isn't some figment of my imagination or the result of any form of drug. It is very, very real…

"I'm getting ahead of myself. Okay, form the beginning." There was a pause. **sans** thought he heard him take a breath. "So, this morning, I was coming back from paintball, and now I'm… I don't know where I am really. For some reason, during my drive home, I decided to stop and go for a hike. It had been awhile, you know? And it didn't seem like there was anyone else there, so I thought 'why not take some time to think?' One second, I was staring out over the edge of the lookout, next thing I knew I was in some cave.

"This is the weird part, though, and I will swear up and down that it is true: everything that has happened to me since I woke up in that cave is exactly like the video game Undertale."

**sans** stopped the recording and rewound. The words repeated, "-exactly like the video game Undertale."

He stopped it again, staring blankly at the screen. " **so, the kid wasn't making stuff up** " He sat down against one of the pillars and pressed play again. "-exactly like the video game Undertale… If that's true, then I know what's waiting for me. To be honest, I don't want to do it. I don't want to leave. Toriel won't let me anyway, but…

"First, let's see if this _actually_ is the same world. I have to wait a few weeks for my arm to heal anyway." The recording ended. **sans** skipped a few and pressed another.

"Bone's healing nicely. A lot faster than I thought it would, honestly. It's most likely the food. I haven't eaten this well since-" **sans** ended the recording and skipped to another.

It began with a long stretch of silence. **sans** began to wonder if the whole thing was blank. He almost went to the next one when, "I have to do it," it started. "I have to leave. I couldn't live with myself if I did nothing. I'm scared. But I'm going to try. No, I'm going to do better than try: I'm going to do what couldn't be done before. I'm going to save him." There was another pause. "I'm going to save Asriel."

The name made **sans** start. The prince? That was who he was trying to save? What made him think he could do that?

The prince was dead, nothing more than dust. There was nothing to save. Surely his friend knew that. **sans** looked to where Ryan stood before he vanished. " **What are you doing?** " he said to the empty hall.

 

Asgore's breath heaved as their weapons clashed again. He had lost track of how long he and the human had been fighTing. It felt like days, but could not have been more than just an hour or two.

He felt more exhausted tHan he ever had in his life; meanwhile the human looked no worse for wear than when they started. Still, he refused to admit defeat; he would keep fighting until his last breath – the human had to hiding his fatigue just as he was. He would not give up. Not now.

The two separated, jumping back and resetting their stances. The king looked through the human trying to find some opening in his defense. The human just held hImself ready. "I will admit," Asgore said as they stared to circle each other again, "you are one of the strongest humans I have fought in my long life."

He nodded. "Much stronger than the other humans whoSe lives you took, I imagine. Killing them must have been much easier."

"What do you mean?"

"The other sIx humans whose souls you took in order to tear down the barrier."

Asgore shook his head. "No. You are the first human I have fought since we were trapped down here. Of the other six, two died in their fall, two more were brought to me as souls already, their deaths a mystery. One died by accident as we attempted to capture them and the last…" He pauSed looking away. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes. "The last took their own life at my feet. They said, 'I hope this will help make up for the sins of my fathers.'"

The human lowered his sword, confusion writ on his face. "You're lying," he said.

"It is the truth," Asgore maintained. "I do not do this because I eNjoy it. I do it because I must. Their death, and all of the rest, will haunt me until the day I die."

The human seemed to consider something, and then raised his weapon again. "It changes nothing," he said. "The burden still lies at your feet. Tell me, Asgore, why are you not using the strength you waited so lOng to gather? You will not be able to win this fight without it."

Asgore's eyes narrowed in anger. "I do not need that power to defeat you." He mainTained.

The human sighed, "Why do you refuse to see the truth?" he said. "Fine. I will show you just how hopeless this is." The human's swords fell away; the spells that manifested aRound him did as well. He stood little better than naked against Asgore's armored might. To the king, he suddenly looked much more fragile than he had a moment ago. The human spread his arms wide. "Come, King of Monsters, do your worst."

With a roar, Asgore did just that. His mind was clouded by hate, anger, sorrow and exhaustion. He did not question the opening, sImply took it. He wanted this to be over, as it should have been long before now.

He lunged with his trident poised in front of him. He knew it would hit home. And this time, he would make sure there was too little left for the human to recover from.

Just before his weapon touched him, the human's eyes flashed, and AsGore was stopped. A torrent of wind was thrown around him, pushing him back. He tried to erase it, but more came at him too fast. Finally he was blown back, struggling just to stay on his feet. When he looked up at the human again he was gone. The moment that thought registered, something collided with his back, knocking him forward. Then the human was in front of him. His fist collided with the side of Asgore's face. The force of the blow sent him reeling. His vision blacked out for a moment. When it returned, he could see light in the corner of his eye where he had been cut.

Asgore fought just to keep standing. He barely moved one foot before the next blow came, this time to his side. The attack rigHted him again. He swung with his trident, merely guessing at where the human could be and hit nothing but air. A kick hit him in the back of the leg and he stumbled. He swung his weapon behind him. It hit a sword, but no one was carrying it. Another punch hit him in the head, then the shoulder, then his back; blow after blow came. Asgore felt his armor buckle, his skin break. He felt his little remaining strength pour out of him.

The human appeared in the air before him once more. The back of his foot collided with his head, and the king was sent flying. He collided wiTh a wall. Stone cracked in the impact. Asgore could feel consciousness try to slip from him and he fought back against the darkness. He willed his body to move. It did so, sluggishly.

His weight crashed to the ground, and he sTruggled to rise. He looked up at the human. The pulse of the barrier flew into the infinite behind him. He seemed to stand like the heroic figures of ancient legends. THere was not a scratch on him, he was completely unfazed by their battle.

"How?" Asgore asked. "How do you not tIre? How do you keep going? I have fought with humans before, and none of them came close to your strength. How?"

The human did not answer. He raiSed his hands to the necklace that rested over the light of his soul. The heart shaped gem began to glow. First red, then white. Then, light exploded inside of the barrier.

 

All throughout the Underground it was felt, and though they did not know it yet, the moment would go down in history forever. Each would tell it differently, but at the center the story was the same. That day something happened, they could feel it, though none truly understood what it was. But they knew that it was the beginning of something. Something momentous.

In New Home, monsters stopped in the streets and looked up in awe as a pillar of light exploded from the castle. Many had to turn away from it for it shone with such intensity. Others found themselves unable. They stared up at the light. None knew what the light meant, except that it called to them, and so they went to it.

Below the city, the Town of Hotland shook as if the molten earth around them had suddenly decided it was done with its millennium of calm. Monsters left their homes to investigate what was going on. One fire monster looked up above as the rest mumbled about what to do. As they all decided to go to the city to investigate, she stayed behind.

Beyond Hotland, the metal box that served as the lab blared with sirens. Doctor Alphys typed furiously on the keyboard at her desk, trying to regain some sense of control and figure out just what was going on. Then, the readings began to pour in. They scrolled up her monitor at a speed that would have been difficult for any but her to follow. Her eyes went wide, glasses falling down her nose. She quickly pushed them back in place and ran to her elevator. She had been warned about this, and she knew what she had to do.

Past the maze of caves in Waterfall, the town of Snowdin felt nothing more than a light tremor in the earth, but still they took notice, for it ran deeper than that. Undyne looked in the direction of the town's exit. She stood with Papyrus in the middle of the street. They had just left Grillby's to return home for the night. Snowy and MK laughed at their feet, but their laughter stopped as the ground began to shake. Undyne looked to Papyrus. They nodded at one another. Whimsalot and Froggit bounded over to join them, and Ayame appeared as if she had always been there. They too were drawn by it. They all looked to the mouth of the cave in the distance. As one, they started to run.

Deep within the forest, a lone monster looked up over the trees. She held a hand to her chest as she felt the tremor pass over her. Then she continued to trudge through the snow, hoping she was not too late.

 

As the whOle mountain stirred, Asgore blinked away the light that blinded him. Slowly, the room resolved itself around him once more. Before him, a pillar of wHite light rose from floor to ceiling. As the light began to fade, the human stepped from its midst.

He had changed. The light of his soul had grown, tendrils of it spread over his chest like rooTs from a tree, or cracks in tHe ground. Those crAcks rose up his neck, almost coming to his eyes. His eyes glowed red for certain now, and as Asgore looked into them, the whiTes behind grew black. The stone around his neck stIll rested at the center of his cheSt. The heart sHaped gem shOne a luminous White against the red of his soul.

As the human stepped from the column of light, the color of the barrIer around them shifted from white to red. It seemed to pulse fasTer as he approached Asgore. "Y-you… you…" he stammered.

The human nodded to his unasked question. "Do you understand noW?" he said.

Asgore's arms slumped dOwn to his sides. He felt hope flee from him. He had lost. He could not win this fight. FoR a moment, the human's image seemed to change into someone else. It was just like then, he thought; he was helpless.

"What now?" He asKed with bitter resentment. "Are you going to kill me like you did my son? Or are you juSt going to leave? Nothing is stopping you."

"I did not come here to kill you, Asgore, nor to leave." The human said.

He knelt down, and pulled up Asgore's head. The king looked into those black and red eyes and saw only benevolence. He smiled, "I came here to help you."

Asgore felt his hope return. Looking to the human's eyes, he found that he believed that he could help them. He did not know how yet, but he felt like he would understand, soon. "Do you really think there's another way?" he asked.

The human's smile slipped. "No, actually. At least, not yet. That talk before was only meant to keep you busy; to buy time."

His confusion grew. "Buy time for what?" The king asked.

The human rose once more and looked past Asgore. "With any luck," he said, "what comes next."

The king tried to rise to his feet as well. "I don't understand."

The look of determination had returned to the human. "And, unfortunately, I can't explain everything right now." The human turned away from him and then turned back. An air of desperation hung about him suddenly. "The next few steps are crucial, Asgore. I need the 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

.

.

.

.

.

_Interesting…_


	36. chapter01

He wasn't sure why he had decided to climb the mountain that day. Perhaps it was simply because he had not in a long time, perhaps he wished to relive a part of his life long gone, or perhaps it called to him for reasons beyond his understanding. Regardless of the reason, he climbed. He climbed, and he fell. _And he died…_


	37. Chapter 99999999999999999999999999999999999999

Ryan opened his eyes only to learn that it made no difference. Darkness filled his vision and pain filled the rest of him. He tried to lift himself up, but found the struggle to be useless. Stuck on the floor, his panicked breaths filled his ears.

_Where am I? What happened? Am I dead?_ These thoughts and more flooded his mind until his heart pounded in his ears. _I was…_ He found that he could not remember anything from before he found himself here, which only helped his panic grow. Had he been hiking? No, that wasn't it; he was forgetting something, but trying to remember only made his head scream in pain even took deep breaths to try to force himself to calm down and was not surprised to find that it didn't work. It never had for him before.

Lying on the ground wasn't helping. He tried to pick himself up again, slower this time. His whole body felt like it was on fire, like every inch of him from bone to skin had cooked through. He pushed back the pain, panic at least helpful for something, and stood. Unconsciously, he reached for his chest, but there was nothing there. Like everything else about what was going on, that felt wrong.

The darkness surrounding him was suddenly broken by a flash of light. Ryan spun to it. The line expanded out to the sides becoming a square of flashing black and white specks that made him think of TV static. White noise filled his ears, adding to the effect.

The square of light towered over him. Ryan blinked at it until his eyes adjusted; the static was making his headache worse. Then, the static stopped, and the pixilated image of a flower appeared on the black and white screen. The flower had a face in its center that seemed to smile down at him. He recognized that face, and seeing it made it all come rushing back to him.

"Howdy!" The flower began, his voice magnified and distorted by some unknown means. "It's me, Flowey. Flowey the Flower."

"No…" Ryan whimpered.

"I owe you a _huge_ thanks. You really did a number on that old fool. Without you, I _never_ could have gotten past him. But now, with your help… He's _dead_. And _I've_ got the human souls!" The image flickered and then resolved itself.

"No," Ryan denied in spite of himself.

The flower continued like he could not hear him. "Boy! I've been empty for so long… It feels great to have a SOUL inside me again." The image's eyes closed and the flower's smile broadened. "Mmmm, I can feel them wriggling."

The flower stared down at Ryan who could do nothing but stand there in panicked disbelief. "Awww, you're feeling left out, aren't you? Well, that's just perfect. After all, I only have six souls. I still need one more, and I _do_ owe you for being such a big help to me." The flower let out a bout of cackling laughter. The image distorted as it did so, and it resolved into the image of the flower Ryan remembered seeing so long ago. "I will admit, it was fun watching your struggles for a while, but now that farce is over." The image seemed to grow closer to him. Ryan involuntarily took a step back. "I told you before: this world is mine. _I_ am its God. And with the power of the seven souls, I will become a God in truth. Then… monsters, humans, everyone; I'll show them all the true meaning of this world."

Ryan's first instinct was to run, but before he could even turn around something lashed out of the darkness and coiled around his arms and legs. He could feel something biting into him and he fought to hold back a scream of pain. Whatever grabbed him lifted him into the air so he was eye level with the image of the flower. "Oh, and you can forget about escaping." He said. "That little… lifeline of yours is gone. I made sure of that. But don't worry. Your old friend Flowey will be sure to take good care of you."

Ryan struggled against his bonds he could feel blood pouring down his arms and over his feet, but he did not care. He reached for magic to try to defend himself, but there was nothing there. "What? Do you really think you can stop me?" the flower chuckled. "You really are an idiot."

Suddenly, his bonds fell away and Ryan crashed to the invisible ground. As he struggled to his feet again the light winked out, but the voice remained. "You can't stop me. You never could. There was never any hope for you, only death. I offered you an easy way out, but you refused." Ryan felt something start to coil up his leg. He tried to kick it away, but it was no use. He felt lightheaded; he couldn't muster the strength to do anything more. The unseen thing continued to coil up his body until it covered him completely. "Now," the flower continued. "Now we're going to have some fun." Then it started to squeeze. Ryan screamed out in agony. And then he felt nothing.

 


	38. Your Worst Nightmare

Ryan opened his eyes only to learn that it made no difference. Darkness filled his vision and pain filled the rest of him. He tried to lift himself up, but found the struggle to be useless. Stuck on the floor, his panicked breaths filled his ears.

_Where am I? What happened? Am I dead?_ These thoughts and more flooded his mind until his heart pounded in his ears. _I was…_ He found that he could not remember anything from before he found himself here, which only helped his panic grow. Had he been hiking? No, that wasn't it; he was forgetting something, but trying to remember only made his head scream in pain even took deep breaths to try to force himself to calm down and was not surprised to find that it didn't work. It never had for him before.

Lying on the ground wasn't helping. He tried to pick himself up again, slower this time. His whole body felt like it was on fire, like every inch of him from bone to skin had cooked through. He pushed back the pain, panic at least helpful for something, and stood. Unconsciously, he reached for his chest, but there was nothing there. Like everything else about what was going on, that felt wrong.

The darkness surrounding him was suddenly broken by a sickly rainbow glow above him. It haloed out from a large black mass at its center. Ryan shielded his eyes as he tried to make something out of the silhouette, but just looking at the light was making him feel ill. He looked away and started to retch, but nothing would come up. He found that he could see himself. The rainbow light cast hard shadows onto his clothes, none of which looked familiar to him. Beyond him though, there was nothing; a void.

A piercing cry rang through the darkness, making Ryan look up above him again. The silhouette had grown. It was big enough now that Ryan could look at it without seeing the sickening light that it eclipsed. Ryan could see now that the form was not solid. It seemed to undulate as it continued to grow. Ryan could hear sounds coming from it as well. Sounds that he could only imagine as bones breaking and flesh being torn and devoured. Beneath it all, he thought he heard a faint, cackling laughter. It made fear jump up and down him stronger than a lightning bolt.

Suddenly, something shot out of the figure. Cables, nearly twice as thick as him, impaled the invisible ground in front of him. There were hundreds of them, Ryan thought as they began to pulsate. Parts of the lengths of each cable began to swell near the base and then move up its length to disappear into the shadow looming above. They each pulsed randomly, but Ryan couldn't help but think that their collective noise sounded like a beating heart.

The shadow continued to lower until it was above him no longer. It towered over him. Ryan could see its top far above him as it poured out a red mist. The mist helped to resolve some of the figure's shape. More cables attached the mass to whatever was above it. Ryan thought he could hear breathing now that was not his own. Something else shot out of the mass. It hit the ground right next to Ryan, making him fall to his knees with his hands pressed to his head. He quivered in fear as something else hit the ground to his other side. When nothing else happened, he slowly looked up at what was next to him. He saw a wall of green. Red thorns stuck out of it that were as long as he was tall. He jumped back from it only to have his back hit the other one. He fell back to the floor between them, trying to get as far away from both of them as possible.

Now he was sure he could hear breathing. He looked away from the vines and towards the figure that continued to loom over him. Whether his eyes had decided just then to start adjusting to the darkness, or the light of the place he found himself in had started to grow, he began to make out details hidden in that monstrous shadow. And he wished he hadn't.

First, he saw eyes. Four of them, each seeming to work independently of the others as they spastically took in the world. More of the pulsating pipes fed into the eyes, each of which were larger than his head. Next he saw a mouth. Rows of jagged teeth hung open as the creature's fetid breathing washed over him. A second mouth seemed to enclose the first. More rows of teeth lined the insides of the mandible-like protrusions. They opened and closed slightly as Ryan watched. Woven in with the fleshy face were the metal cables and more of the green vines. They each seemed to sprout from a black box at its center. A box whose screen turned on as Ryan saw it. Black lines formed a face on the white screen that he felt he knew all too well. He felt something wet run down his leg as the face began to smile.

The creature let out a laugh that threatened to tear away Ryan's sanity. It drove him to his knees, burying his head in his hands once again. When the laugher finally stopped echoing through his skull, he looked up to see the many eyes of the creature snap to him. A vine rose above his head and before he could even process what was about to happen. It shot down and pierced his chest. It didn't hurt. He knew it should, some part of his brain was still lucid enough to know that. But he just felt like he couldn't breathe all of the sudden. He looked down, as if he needed to confirm what had happened. The vine retracted as he did, coated in his blood. He didn't even feel that. He slumped to the ground, his vision already fading, fear quickly draining out of him to leave only a strange numbness behind. The last thing he heard was that piercing laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 57656C6C2C2074686174207761736EE280997420706172746963756C61726C792073617469736679696E67E280A6204C6574E28099732074727920616761696E2E


	39. yOur Worst N9ghtmaer

Ryan opened his eyes only to learn that it made no difference. Darkness filled his vision and pain filled the rest of him. He tried to lift himself up, but found the struggle to be useless. Stuck on the floor, his panicked breaths filled his ears.

_Where am I? What happened? Am I dead?_ These thoughts and more flooded his mind until his heart pounded in his ears. _I was…_ He found that he could not remember anything from before he found himself here, which only helped his panic grow. Had he been hiking? No, that wasn't it; he was forgetting something, but trying to remember only made his head scream in pain even took deep breaths to try to force himself to calm down and was not surprised to find that it didn't work. It never had for him before.

Lying on the ground wasn't helping. He tried to pick himself up again, slower this time. His whole body felt like it was on fire, like every inch of him from bone to skin had cooked through. He pushed back the pain, panic at least helpful for something, and stood. Unconsciously, he reached for his chest, but there was nothing there. Like everything else about what was going on, that felt wrong.

The darkness surrounding him was suddenly broken by a sickly rainbow glow above him. It haloed out from a large black mass at its center. Ryan shielded his eyes as he tried to make something out of the silhouette, but just looking at the light was making him feel ill. He looked away and started to retch, but nothing would come up. He found that he could see himself. The rainbow light cast hard shadows onto his clothes, none of which looked familiar to him. Beyond him though, there was nothing; a void.

A piercing cry ran through the darkness, making Ryan look up above him again. The silhouette had grown. It was big enough now that Ryan could look at it without seeing the sickening light that it eclipsed. Ryan could see now that the form was not solid. It seemed to undulate as it continued to grow. Ryan could hear sounds coming from it as well. Sounds that he could only imagine as bones breaking and flesh being torn and devoured. Beneath it all, he thought he heard a faint, cackling laughter. It made fear jump up and down him stronger than a lightning bolt.

Suddenly, something shot out of the figure. Cables, nearly twice as thick as him, impaled the invisible ground in front of him. There were hundreds of them, Ryan thought as they began to pulsate. Parts of the lengths of each cable began to swell near the base and then move up its length to disappear into the shadow looming above. They each pulsed randomly, but Ryan couldn't help but think that their collective noise sounded like a beating heart.

The shadow continued to lower until it was above him no longer. It towered over him. Ryan could see its top far above him as it poured out a red mist. The mist helped to resolve some of the figure's shape. More cables attached the mass to whatever was above it. Ryan thought he could hear breathing now that was not his own. Something else shot out of the mass. It hit the ground right next to Ryan, making him fall to his knees with his hands pressed to his head. He quivered in fear as something else hit the ground to his other side. When nothing else happened, he slowly looked up at what was next to him. He saw a wall of green. Red thorns stuck out of it that were as long as he was tall. He jumped back from it only to have his back it the other one. He fell back to the floor between them, trying to get as far away from both of them as possible.

Now he was sure he could hear breathing. He looked away from the vines and towards the figure that continued to loom over him. Whether his eyes had decided just then to start adjusting to the darkness, or the light of the place he found himself in had started to grow, he began to make out details hidden in that monstrous shadow. And he wished he hadn't.

First, he saw eyes. Four of them, each seeming to work independently of the others as they spastically took in the world. More of the pulsating pipes fed into the eyes, each of which were larger than his head. Next he saw a mouth. Rows of jagged teeth hung open as the creature's fetid breathing washed over him. A second mouth seemed to enclose the first. More rows of teeth lined the insides of the mandible-like protrusions. They opened and closed slightly as Ryan watched. Woven in with the fleshy face were the metal cables and more of the green vines. They each seemed to sprout from a black box at its center. A box whose screen turned on as Ryan saw it. Black lines formed a face on the white screen that he felt he knew all too well. He felt something wet run down his leg as the face began to smile.

The creature let out a laugh that threatened to tear away Ryan's sanity. It drove him to his knees, burying his head in his hands once again. When the laughter finally stopped echoing through his skull, he looked up to see the many eyes of the creature snap to him. A vine rose above his head.

Something at the back of his mind screamed at him to move, so he did, jumping out of the way just as the vine flew at where he had been crouched. He rolled and came to his feet by some instinct that he did not even know he possessed. He felt his fear get pushed to the back of his mind as he saw more vines shooting toward him, faster than he should have been able to react to them. By some miracle, he managed to dodge them all, but some of the vines had long thorns covering their surface that managed to graze him. He could feel blood running down his arms and his sides as he continued his struggle. He knew he wasn't going to survive long like this. He needed to figure out a way to fight back.

Fight back? The idea suddenly seemed as insane to him as it should have. But what other choice did he have? He couldn't run, he knew that, and he was not about to let himself be killed.

Ryan suddenly realized he was holding something. He looked down at his hand. It was a knife, slightly coated in rust. It looked familiar to him somehow, but where had it come from?

He had no time to think about it as more vines tried to impale him. He dodged these as well, cutting at them with the blade he held whenever he could. It wasn't doing much, he knew, but he just felt like he had to do something.

The creature seemed to finally notice Ryan's futile attacks. "You're going to try to fight back?" The voice sounded like several overlapping each other, from a bass that shook the ground to a shrill whine that made Ryan's head feel like it was going to split. "How amusing!" it went on. "Please do! It will make killing you much more enjoyable."

The vines suddenly stopped and Ryan turned to face the creature. His legs shook. He was unsure whether that was from fear or from blood loss. He could barely feel his hands anymore. He had to check to make sure he was still holding the knife. Its paltry protection was all he had. Then, white dots like seeds shot out from the creature and pelted Ryan's body. They moved nearly as fast as bullets and knocked him to the ground, his head hitting first. When his vision finally returned, the last thing he saw was a vine coming towards his eye.

He was dead before he even realized it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 5965732C2074686174206973206D6F7265206C696B652069742E20416761696E21


	40. yEurW Frst n7htmaer

Ryan opened his eyes only to learn that it made no difference. Darkness filled his vision and pain filled the rest of him. He tried to lift himself up, but found the struggle to be useless. Stuck on the floor, his panicked breaths filled his ears.

_Where am I? What happened? Am I dead?_ These thoughts and more flooded his mind until his heart pounded in his ears. _I was…_ He found that he could not remember anything from before he found himself here, which only helped his panic grow. Had he been hiking? No, that wasn't it; he was forgetting something, but trying to remember only made his head scream in pain even took deep breaths to try to force himself to calm down and was surprised to find that it worked. It never had for him before.

Lying on the ground wasn't helping. He tried to pick himself up again, slower this time. His whole body felt like it was on fire, like every inch of him from bone to skin had cooked through. He pushed back the pain, and stood. Unconsciously, he reached for his chest, but there was nothing there. Like everything else about what was going on, that felt wrong.

The darkness surrounding him was suddenly broken by a sickly rainbow glow above him. It haloed out from a large black mass at its center. Ryan shielded his eyes as he tried to make something out of the silhouette, but just looking at the light was making him feel ill. He looked away and started to retch, but nothing would come up. He found that he could see himself. The rainbow light cast hard shadows onto his clothes, none of which looked familiar to him. Beyond him though, there was nothing; a void.

A piercing cry ran through the darkness, making Ryan look up above him again. The silhouette had grown. It was big enough now that Ryan could look at it without seeing the sickening light that it eclipsed. Ryan could see now that the form was not solid. It seemed to undulate as it continued to grow. Ryan could hear sounds coming from it as well. Sounds that he could only imagine as bones breaking and flesh being torn and devoured. Beneath it all, he thought he heard a faint, cackling laughter. It made fear jump up and down him stronger than a lightning bolt.

Suddenly, something shot out of the figure. Cables, nearly twice as thick as him, impaled the invisible ground in front of him. There were hundreds of them, Ryan thought as they began to pulsate. Parts of the lengths of each cable began to swell near the base and then move up its length to disappear into the shadow looming above. They each pulsed randomly, but Ryan couldn't help but think that their collective noise sounded like a beating heart.

The shadow continued to lower until it was above him no longer. It towered over him. Ryan could see its top far above him as it poured out a red mist. The mist helped to resolve some of the figure's shape. More cables attached the mass to whatever was above it. Ryan thought he could hear breathing now that was not his own. Something else shot out of the mass. It hit the ground right next to Ryan, making him jump as his panic threatened to consume him again. He jumped again as something else hit the ground to his other side. To either side of him there was a wall of green. Red thorns stuck out of it that were as long as he was tall. He stood between them, trying to get as far away from both of them as possible.

Now he was sure he could hear breathing. He looked away from the vines and towards the figure that continued to loom over him. Whether his eyes had decided just then to start adjusting to the darkness, or the light of the place he found himself in had started to grow, he began to make out details hidden in that monstrous shadow. And he wished he hadn't.

It was the most horrid creature he had ever seen; his worst fears and nightmares come to life. And yet, for some reason he felt no more scared than he had before he knew the image of what loomed over him. A face appeared on what looked like a screen embedded in the creature's flesh. It smiled down at him.

The creature let out a laugh that threatened to tear away Ryan's sanity. Pain split his head, driving him to his knees. When the laughter finally stopped echoing through his skull, he looked up to see the many eyes of the creature snap to him. A vine rose above his head.

He knew it was going to kill him if he did not move, so he jumped to the side as it shot at where he had been crouched. He rolled and came to his feet by some instinct that he did not even know he possessed. He felt his fear melt as that instinct started to take over. More vines shot toward him, faster than he should have been able to react to them. By some miracle, he managed to dodge them all, but some of the vines had long thorns covering their surface that managed to graze him. He could feel blood running down his arms and his sides as he continued his struggle. He knew he wasn't going to survive long like this. He needed to figure out a way to fight back.

Fight back? The idea suddenly seemed as insane to him as it should have. But what other choice did he have? He couldn't run, he knew that, and he was not about to let himself be killed.

Ryan suddenly realized he was holding something. He looked down at his hand. It was a knife, slightly coated in rust. It looked familiar to him somehow, but where had it come from?

He had no time to think about it as more vines tried to impale him. He dodged these as well, cutting at them with the blade he held whenever he could. It wasn't doing much, he knew, but he just felt like he had to do something.

Suddenly, the sickly rainbow light was back. It grew more intense by the moment as Ryan struggled to see if more attacks were coming at him through the glare. Then the light shifted in color until the whole of the light was a bright blue. Then it continued to grow brighter still. It threatened to blind him. Ryan had no choice but close his eyes against the light.

When he opened his eyes again, he was in a dark void once more. Only this time, a different figure faced him. It was a young boy, a human. He wore a pain t-shirt and shorts. His shaggy hair covered his eyes. In his hand, he held a toy knife.

"Hey," Ryan called out to him. He was surprised he found his voice, let alone how level it was. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "Do you know where we are?" He had a thousand other questions, but he didn't even know where to begin.

The boy didn't answer him. He silently ran up to Ryan and swung at him with his knife. Fake or not, the toy cut as if it were made of the sharpest steel. Ryan was lucky he dodged the attack out of habit. More blood ran down the front of his chest. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"What I must." The child said. The voice rang hollow in Ryan's ears as if it were far away though the child was right in front of him. "You cannot win." He went on. "Just let it end."

The child swung at him again. This time Ryan caught his arm. "No," he said. "I have to fight. There's something I need to do, and I can't give up here."

"Really? What is it you think you need to do?" the child asked, bitterness thick in his voice.

Ryan dropped his eyes as he thought. "I don't know," he admitted. "I can't remember."

"If you can't remember, then what's the point?" The boy argued. "You won't have any regrets just letting go."

Ryan shook his head. "I don't need to know the reason to keep fighting. You should be fighting too. Together, we might even be able to win. I don't know how I know that, but I promise that we can do it."

The child said nothing for a moment. His arm was like stone against Ryan's grip as he tried to hold it at bay. "You have broken all of your promises before," he said at last, "and this is no different."

The child tried to pull away, but Ryan held to him firmly. Memories suddenly flashed in his head. Memories of promises he'd made to his family, his friends. To sans and Papyrus, Whimsalot and Loox and Froggit, Snowy and MK. To Toriel…

"You're right," he told the child. "I have broken a lot of promises." He let go if his arm. The child let it fall to his side, but he did not move otherwise. Ryan got to his knees and said, "But I'm still breathing, so there's one promise I can still try to keep. One that may save us all. But I need your help to do it."

His words seem to cut the melancholy in the child's demeanor, but he shook his head. "I can't. I'm already dead. He has control of me now."

Ryan placed his hands on the child's shoulders, drawing his eyes to him. "Then I'll just have to save you too." He told him. "But that means you can't give up."

The child actually smiled. "I will try," he said. Ryan nodded, and stood back up. He could feel himself being pulled from that place by some means, and he steeled himself to face that thing again.

The child tugged at his pants. "Will you come back?" he asked.

"I will." Ryan told him.

"Okay. Then I'll wait here."

Light consumed the world once more. As it faded, Ryan found himself face to face with the creature once more. But this time, as he started up at that grim visage, he was not afraid.

Power coursed through him. That which had escaped him before came to him as easy as breathing now that he had regained some of his memories. His wounds and his fatigue started to fade from his mind. And he readied himself for his fight back.

The creature before him seemed not to notice the change in his demeanor. From the thick vines that hung to its sides came an endless wave of little white seeds. The shot at Ryan faster than bullets. Ryan raised his hand and the seeds bounced off of the air before him.

Now the creature seemed to notice. "Oh? You remembered some of your tricks, have you? Well, we can't have that now, can we?"

Another vine shot at Ryan, but this one was not trying to hit him. It impaled the ground at his feet, and when it pulled away it left behind a dull gray cylinder. Ryan noticed that, scrawled on the side, was the flower's face, winking and sticking its tongue at him. He barely had time to question what it was.

In less than a thousandth the time it took to blink, the bomb at his feet exploded. It created enough heat to instantly vaporize him. He did not even have the time to appreciate the irony that, having finally got his powers back, having regained the ability to cheat death, there was no coming back from being nothing more than atoms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 4861206861206861212059657321205965732120416761696E21


	41. ye96Wrst2htmaer

Ryan opened his eyes only to learn that it made no difference. Darkness filled his vision and pain filled the rest of him. He tried to lift himself up, but found the struggle to be useless. Stuck on the floor, his panicked breaths filled his ears.

_Where am I? What happened? Am I dead?_ These thoughts and more flooded his mind until his heart pounded in his ears. _I was…_ He found that he could not remember anything from before he found himself here, which only helped his panic grow. Had he been hiking? No, that wasn't it; he was forgetting something. A frozen forest, glowing lakes, an ancient city… Trying to remember only made his head scream in pain even took deep breaths to try to force himself to calm down and was not surprised to find that it worked.

Lying on the ground wasn't helping. He tried to pick himself up again, slower this time. His whole body felt like it was on fire, like every inch of him from bone to skin had cooked through. He pushed back the pain, and stood. Unconsciously, he reached for his chest, but there was nothing there. A part of him knew that was wrong, enough of him that he did not even question why he knew it, but he did not have the time to either way.

The darkness surrounding him was suddenly broken by a sickly rainbow glow above him. It haloed out from a large black mass at its center. Ryan shielded his eyes as he tried to make something out of the silhouette, but just looking at the light was making him feel ill. He looked away and started to retch, but nothing would come up. He found that he could see himself. The rainbow light cast hard shadows onto clothes that only looked vaguely familiar to him. Beyond him though, there was nothing; a void.

A piercing cry ran through the darkness, making Ryan look up above him again. The silhouette had grown. It was big enough now that Ryan could look at it without seeing the sickening light that it eclipsed. Ryan could see now that the form was not solid. It seemed to undulate as it continued to grow. Ryan could hear sounds coming from it as well. Sounds that he could only imagine as bones breaking and flesh being torn and devoured. Beneath it all, he thought he heard a faint, cackling laughter. Fighting back the fear that sound produced proved difficult.

Suddenly, something shot out of the figure. Cables, nearly twice as thick as him, impaled the invisible ground in front of him. There were hundreds of them, Ryan thought as they began to pulsate. Parts of the lengths of each cable began to swell near the base and then move up its length to disappear into the shadow looming above. They each pulsed randomly, but Ryan couldn't help but think that their collective noise sounded like a beating heart.

The shadow continued to lower until it was above him no longer. It towered over him. Ryan could see its top far above him as it poured out a red mist. The mist helped to resolve some of the figure's shape. More cables attached the mass to whatever was above it. Ryan thought he could hear breathing now that was not his own. Something else shot out of the mass. It hit the ground right next to Ryan, making him jump as his panic threatened to consume him again. He jumped again as something else hit the ground to his other side. To either side of him there was a wall of green. Red thorns stuck out of it that were as long as he was tall. He stood between them, trying to get as far away from both of them as possible.

Now he was sure he could hear breathing. He looked away from the vines and towards the figure that continued to loom over him. Whether his eyes had decided just then to start adjusting to the darkness, or the light of the place he found himself in had started to grow, he began to make out details hidden in that monstrous shadow. And he wished he hadn't.

It was the most horrid creature he had ever seen; his worst fears and nightmares come to life. And yet, for some reason he felt no more scared than he had before he knew the image of what loomed over him. A face appeared on what looked like a screen embedded in the creature's flesh. It smiled down at him.

The creature let out a laugh that made Ryan flinch. Pain split his head, and threatened to drive him off of his feet. When the laughter finally stopped echoing through his skull, he looked up to see the many eyes of the creature snap to him. A vine rose above his head.

He knew it was going to kill him if he did not move, so he jumped to the side as it shot at where he had been standing. He came to stance by some instinct that he did not even know he possessed. Knees bent, weight forward, and arms ready; like some kind of martial arts fighter. He felt his fear melt as that instinct started to take over. More vines shot toward him, faster than he should have been able to react to them. By some miracle, he managed to dodge them all, but some of the vines had long thorns covering their surface that managed to graze him. He could feel blood running down his arms and his sides as he continued his struggle. He knew he wasn't going to survive long like this. He needed to figure out a way to fight back.

Fight back? The idea suddenly seemed as insane to him as it should have. But what other choice did he have? He couldn't run, he knew that, and he was not about to let himself be killed.

Ryan suddenly realized he was holding something. He looked down at his hand. It was a dagger, slightly coated in rust. It looked familiar to him somehow, but where had it come from?

He had no time to think about it as more vines tried to impale him. He dodged these as well, cutting at them with the blade he held whenever he could. It wasn't doing much, he knew, but he just felt like he had to do something.

_I can't give up_ , he thought, _not now_. He was not even sure where the thought had come from, or what he was even trying to do, but that thought kept his body moving, kept his arm swinging. He had made a promise, he remembered. And though he couldn't remember what that promise was, he knew that by fighting back he was fulfilling that promise.

The rainbow light suddenly returned. As its glare reached Ryan, a part of his brain thought that it seemed less sickening than it had before. It grew more intense by the moment as Ryan struggled to see if more attacks were coming at him through the glare. Then the light shifted in color until the whole of the light was orange. Then it continued to grow brighter still. It threatened to blind him. Ryan had no choice but close his eyes against the light.

When he opened them again, he was in a dark void once more. Only this time, a figure faced him. It was a man; a human. He was taller than Ryan with short, dark hair. He wore gray sweat pants and no shirt and looked very much like he had just come from a gym. Padded gloves covered his hands and a headband was pulled down to cover his eyes. For some reason, Ryan had expected to see someone else.

"Hey," Ryan called out to him. He was surprised he found his voice, let alone how level it was. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "Do you know where we are?" He had a thousand other questions, but he didn't even know where to begin.

The questions he had asked went unanswered. Silently, the man stepped up to him. His fist connected with Ryan's stomach before he had even registered him taking the swing. It knocked the wind out of him, forcing him to his knees. Struggling for air, Ryan demanded, "What was that for?"

"For this to be over." The man said coldly. The voice rang hollow in Ryan's ears as if it were very far away. "Once and for all." He did not wait for Ryan to get back to his feet. Another blow struck him in the back of the head and he hit the ground face first. "Give up," Ryan heard him say through the ringing in his ears. "It will be better that way. For all of us."

Spots dancing in front of his eyes and blood dripping down his nose, Ryan struggled to get to his feet. "No." He grunted. "I will never give up."

A sharp pain went through his temple. Before he knew it, he was tumbling to the ground once more. "Why?" The man asked. "Aren't you afraid?" As Ryan struggled to his feet more, the man loomed over him. "You're powerless to change things. He is a God. You're just a human. You don't stand a chance."

Ryan caught the next swing before it hit him between the eyes. "You're right," he said. "I am just a human. No matter how hard I try to deny it, I am. But he is no God, and there is a chance." Memories suddenly came flooding back to him. All of the months he'd spent learning and training with his friends. Getting to a state he'd never thought he'd achieve. Gaining the power to try and make a difference in himself and the world around him.

The man brought his leg up to try to kick Ryan. Ryan threw the man's arm away, overbalancing him. He ducked the now haphazard kick and went on as the man fought to regain his footing. "Humans will always attempt the irrational. No matter how much is stacked against them, no matter how illogical it might seem to everyone else, even if they don't stand a chance in hell, they'll try anyway. I don't have the power? Then I'll find it or do without. All that matters it that I keep going. As long as I'm still breathing then there's a chance that I will succeed."

As the man regained his balance, he immediately looked like he was going to try and hit him again, but then seemed to reconsider. "I used to think like you," the man said after a long pause. "But, now… I'm so afraid. I just want it to stop…" He sounded like he was weeping.

Ryan put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm afraid too." He told him.

The man looked up at him with his covered eyes. "But you keep going."

"Always." Ryan agreed. "You can still fight too."

"I can't," the man said. "He's too strong and I… I already lost."

"You're here aren't you? That means you have a chance. You're the source of his power, but that power is still yours, you just need to fight him."

There was another pause, and then the man reached up to pull the headband out of his eyes. He looked down at Ryan and smiled. "I'll try."

Light consumed the world once more. As it faded, Ryan found himself face to face with the creature once more. But this time, as he started up at that grim visage, he was not afraid.

Power coursed through him. That which had escaped him before came to him as easy as breathing now that he had regained some of his memories. His wounds and his fatigue started to fade from his mind. And he readied himself for his fight back.

The creature before him seemed not to notice the change in his demeanor. From the thick vines that hung to its sides came and endless wave of little white seeds. The shot at Ryan faster than bullets. Ryan raised his hand and the seeds bounced off of the air before him.

Now the creature seemed to notice. "Oh? You remembered some of your tricks, have you? No matter. They will do nothing to help you."

Countless vines came at him from all directions. Before they could even get close, they were shorn to pieces and fell to a pile at his feet. The face on the screen shifted to anger. It made Ryan smile.

The dagger was gone. It had served its purpose. A scythe, the perfect likeness of the one Asgore wielded in their fight, materialized in his hands. It seemed appropriate. The creature sent everything it had at him. Ryan blocked, turned away, and dodged it all. He attacked back when he could, but vines regrew, bullets still raced through the air, and bombs still dropped, and soon Ryan's fatigue caught up to him. He reached out to draw in more power. But there was nothing there. Dismayed, he tried to think of a way to end this before he was completely drained.

Before he could, the glow behind the creature returned once more. It shifted color, this time to a deep blue. The light blinded him yet again.

He was in the void once more, weapon no longer in hand. A woman stood before him in ballerina slippers and tutu. Her long dark hair was tied behind her in a ponytail. She stood as if any moment she might start to dance. "Are you… another one?" Ryan asked the woman. Like the man, she did not respond, however she did not attack him. She raised her hands and Ryan's body went stiff. He felt like a thousand threads had woven into his limbs. As she moved her fingers, he moved as well, taking a step forward and raising his arms. She had him like a puppet. Ryan tried to fight against it, but he was too exhausted to break free.

His arms continued to rise until his hands wrapped themselves around his neck, and try as he might to stop it, his grip continued to tighten around his throat. "This is what your defiance of destiny has brought you." The woman said; her gaze on the floor. Like the man, her voice seemed distant. "You should have just stayed the puppet and let the strings of fate guide your way."

The words made more memories come rushing back to him. Of the things he tried to change, the things he tried to stop, and the things he let happen even though he shouldn't have. He remembered a time long ago, a time when he would just let the world carry him along. He thought he had been happy then, he had been wrong.

He redoubled his efforts, straining against the power that held him. His vision was started to fade around the edges. "Never… again!" He grunted. His grip around his neck broke and his arms flung away from him. He felt the strings holding him tear away. The woman was knocked back as if she had taken a physical blow. As Ryan recovered himself, he stepped up to the woman. "I would rather be dead than go back to being that person." He told her. "It is hardly a life at all. We have to move forward by our own choices."

"Not all of us have a choice." The woman argued, still seeming shaken.

"There's always a choice." He told her.

"Not if you're dead."

"Then I would rather be dead than know I could have done more; than know that I chose an easier path because I couldn't take a little pain to stand up for what I believe in." The woman turned away from him, but he pulled her back to him. "You're not out of options yet," he told her. "You can fight him. We can fight him."

He held out his hand, and she took it. "I will try." She said, and then the world was consumed by light once more.


	42. he9lWarsl8er

The light faded, and the empty void continued to remain around him. He looked around for the creature, confused, and a little frightened despite himself. But the creature was not there. As he turned in the darkness, the light of his soul the only thing allowing him to know if there would be anything to see, he found a man. He wore glasses and carried a well-worn book at his side, clutching it in his hand like it was more important than his own life.

He was about to speak up to the newcomer until he realized something else. This man looked almost exactly like him. There were some differences he noticed, beyond just the glasses. He was shorter and slightly older, and wore clothes the likes of which he would have worn in high school: a concert tee with old, tattered jeans.

The man stepped up to him and took off the glasses, looking him up and down consideringly. "Who are you?" Ryan questioned.

The man chuckled. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Then again, I suppose you already know."

"I do?"

The man nodded, like he had just remembered something. "Right, you're mind isn't exactly your own at the moment. But, it was never really very good to begin with, was it?" The man's grin turned to a smirk. "How easy you forget."

And with that, more memories returned to him: his goal, and why he chose it, and how he had come to that decision. "Why are you here?" he asked.

"That's a good question." The man started. "I shouldn't be, by all accounts, but since I am, I figured I'd give you a hand." The man suddenly looked remorseful. "I never saw this coming, and for that I am sorry. It's my fault you're even in this mess to begin with. But, I haven't given up, and I can see that you haven't either." Ryan nodded his head to confirm. He had not given up. "Good," he went on. His voice dropped for a moment as he looked to go deep into thought. An expression crossed his face, one of grim acceptance. "Good," he said again. "You're right to fight back, just not for the reasons that you think. You _can_ win, you just need to get out of here first. If you can, maybe then I'll be able to get a handle on things again."

Ryan gave him a sideways look. "Don't look at me like that," the man said defensively. "If I could explain more, I would. You should have figured that out by now."

"Come back with me." Ryan offered. "None of the others have yet, but I know they're still fighting. Together-"

The man shook his head. "I can't. I've been stretching my luck just by doing this. I have to go before he finds out what I'm doing. Otherwise this whole story really is lost. Besides, you don't really need me. You've done just fine on your own so far." He smirked again at some private joke.

"Okay," Ryan said. He turned away, but the man grabbed his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." He said softly.

"You already said that."

"Not for this, for what comes next, should you manage to win."

Ryan blinked, confused. "I don't…"

"It's too late, you have to go." The man turned away and started to fade.

"Wai


	43. Hel9walrker

Ryan opened his eyes only to learn that it made no difference. Darkness filled his vision and power filled the rest of him. He was standing; he couldn't remember blacking out.

_Where am I? What happened? Am I dead?_ He knew the answer to the last question at least. He was not dead, not yet. As for the others, he didn't know what was happening, or much of what had happened, and he did not know where he was, but he had a guess. He tried to wrack his brain to fill in the pieces. He had been fighting Asgore, and then…

He turned and, like the acknowledgement of its presence had thrown off some sort of illusion, it was there. The creature – the flower – towered over him. Its twin mouths seemed to smile alongside the face on the TV screen.

Ryan stood, staring up at the creature unafraid, as it seemed to take him in as well. The creature let out a laugh that rung in his ears. Pain split his head, but he blocked it out. When the laughter finally stopped echoing through his skull, he saw a vine rise above his head.

He stepped to the side as it hit the ground at his feet, not looking away from the face glaring at him from the screen. The creature had yet to notice his demeanor, however, and set more attacks at Ryan. A sword sprung to Ryan's hand, which he used to cut the first vine that had tried to end him before rushing headlong into what awaited him

Magic came to him as easy as breathing. Fire burned away vines, shields repelled bullets, ice kept others at bay, and strength kept him on his feet. But the tide was endless and he could not turn away everything. Slowly, the flower was wearing him down. He reached within himself, to draw in energy and keep fighting, but there was nothing there. Panic filled him suddenly and he tried to push it away. His defense waved for an instant, and he was nearly swept away then and there. He knew he was not going to last much longer, not like this, but if this were the only strength he had left to him, there was no hope of staying alive let alone winning.

_No,_ he thought to himself. _I can't give up_. _Not now_. He had made a promise, he remembered that now. And he was going to see it through. He reached out once more. Still, there was no energy to be found, but he found something else. He called out to it, and a rainbow of light suddenly appeared. It shifted to green as it grew in intensity, consuming the world around him. As creature vanished, so did Ryan's panic. There was still hope yet.

A man stood before him in the void. Ryan practically ran to him. "Hey," he called to him. "Are you one of the souls?" The man did not answer, his back was to him. "Are you the first?" he asked. "I feel like there had been others but… I can't remember." He chuckled dryly. "I was hoping to avoid all of this, if I were honest. But, then again you wouldn't know what I'm talking about, huh?" The man still said nothing. "I guess it hasn't been as bad as I feared, at least not yet. I haven't died at all; I don't think I'd be able to handle that torture… I guess all of that training really did pay off, if not in the way I would have liked." Then Ryan realized what he was doing. "I'm rambling about nonsense to you I'm sure. I'm… Are you okay?"

Ryan saw that the man's shoulders were shaking. His back was slightly stooped. He was crying.

"I'm so cold." He said. "Why won't it just end?" Fire suddenly erupted all around them. It crawled up Ryan's body before he could react, burning him. He pushed the flame away with a short burst of air, but the damage was done. His arms and legs stunk, but he pushed the pain aside and tried not to look at himself. The man seemed not to notice the flames that leapt about him, burning him as well. Ryan knew that pulling him out would be impossible, so he tried a different route.

He pulled at the flames, trying to draw them into him to regain some strength as well as save the man, but strangely enough there was no magical energy to draw on. "Why won't it all just go away?" The man continued to roar. "I hate this world! It should all just burn!"

Ryan tried to calm himself. He knew there was a way out of this – something told him there was – he just needed to find it. "You can't make the world go away just by wishing it," he said. The fires shrunk slightly and the man turned to him. The man's skin was more giant patches of black than not by that point. Ryan tried to keep himself looking at the man's sorrow filled eyes. "It's too big for one person to try to get rid of it. So instead of trying, you have to try to change it. That is something one person can manage. Yes, it is hard, but it's all we can ever do."

The fires melted away completely, and the man looked as though he had never been burned at all. "It's too late for me."

"No, it's not." Ryan maintained. "You may not be able to see the change you can make to the world now, but others will. And isn't that the real reason to face struggle? So that other's won't have to?" Ryan stepped up to the man. The act of walking was not a painless one, but he persevered.

The man smiled down at him. "The others were right; you are something special."

So there had been others. That thought didn't sit right with him, but there was no time to think on it now. "Does that mean you'll fight?" he asked.

The man nodded. "I will try."

Ryan felt hope surge in him once again. It was working. The man grabbed him by the shoulders. "Here," he said. Then something else surged within him. Pain fled; he looked down to see his body free of burns. Power returned to him, and he reached out to find that that seemingly infinite source had returned.

"Thank you," he told the man as the light returned. He could feel himself being pulled back to that other place, but at the last moment, he felt himself pulled back.

The light receded once more, and another man stood where the other had before. Ryan had some trouble hiding his surprise. The man wore a cowboy hat and the full attire of what came to mind when he thought of a cowboy.

The man practically ran up to Ryan. "How?" he demanded. "How are you able to do all of this?"

Ryan dropped the defensive stance he had taken up out of habit when he saw that the man wasn't going to attack him. "I don't know what you mean." He said.

"How can to stand up to that… that _thing_? How were you able to convince the others to fight with you? Why did it work for you and not for me?"

The man turned away before going on. "I used to think that the world worked toward the good, that evil would be punished as it rightfully should. And yet here we are."

"I like to think that way myself." Ryan told him. "But, I also think it's infinitely more complicated than that. More complicated than we can ever understand." He put a hand on the man's shoulder. "We humans are not meant to see the big picture, but we can still do good despite that. You want to know how I'm able to fight back? It's because there's no other choice." The man looked back at him, more than a little surprised. "There's no real noble reason to it, there doesn't have to be. When it comes down to it, I'm afraid of losing. So I'm going to make sure I try my hardest and give this fight everything I got. Because that's how miracles happen."

The man looked at him a moment longer, and then laughed. "You must be one lucky SOB, friend."

Ryan shrugged. "If luck is what got me here, then it's the Dark One's own."

"It might be."

"So are you with me?" Ryan asked.

"Yes." The man said. Then, more figures appeared behind him, as if stepping out of a fog. There was the man from before and others as well. The man with the cowboy hat looked to his companions and smiled. "I think we all are."

Ryan nodded once more, and turned away from his new allies. "Then let's go," he said before he felt a sharp pain in his back and a loud crack rang through the void.

Ryan fell to the ground, his body suddenly not responding to him at all. He tried to reach for magic, but once more it was gone. He started to panic. He willed his body to move, but it was numb.

The man in the cowboy hat crossed into his vision. He knelt down before Ryan. He was smiling again, but that smile was much darker than it had been before. He held a revolver in his hand, the barrel still smoking from the round that had brought Ryan down. He chuckled. "You idiot," he said through his amusement.

He stood. Ryan heard the hammer on the gun click back.

And then nothing at all.


	44. HellWalker

Ryan opened his eyes only to learn that it made no difference. Darkness filled his vision and agony filled the rest of him.

He remembered everything this time. He remembered all the other times he had woken up like this. All of the fear, all of the pain, and all of the deaths.

As the creature appeared from the shadows once again, Ryan fell to his knees, tears pouring down his face. How could he have been so stupid, to think that his struggles could work; that he could somehow get out of that hell. The creature let out its laugh. "Do you understand now?" It said. "You could never hope to defeat me. I am the God of this world. And you? You're hopeless; hopeless and alone." The face on the screen turned back into that of the flower and lowered so it was right in Ryan's face. "That's right. You're worthless friends can't save you now. Call for help. I dare you. Cry into the darkness! 'Mommy! Daddy! Somebody help!' See what good it does you." It pulled back, listening.

Ryan did cry, though it was not for help. A wordless groan escaped his lips. It grew into a cry of anger and panic. He screamed his hatred of the world, screamed until his voice broke, screamed until no more sound would come. And then the creature waited. It turned its eyes in the darkness, as if looking for something. And then it laughed once more. "What a surprise," it said. "No one came. It's a shame really. No one else is going to get to see you die!"

Ryan closed his eyes, he did nothing to resist. There was no point. He would die in the end anyway, and then likely he would be brought back, that time without any memory of what had happened. And they would start all of this again. So stayed on his knees before the creature, and let him win. He waited for the attack.

But it never came.

He opened his eyes to see six figures standing before him. He knew them all. They smiled down at him warmly. The man in the cowboy hat was at their head once more. "All that effort, and you're giving up now?" he questioned.

Ryan's eyes narrowed in anger. "You killed me." He said to the man.

The man looked away, as if embarrassed. "I do apologize for that. You see, he was getting suspicious. Needed to make him think he was still in control, you see. Otherwise we never would have been able to surprise him like this. Plus, a little birdie told us that your mind wasn't quite whole yet, so we had to wait for that." He smiled, as if he were telling a joke he knew Ryan would never get.

The man held out a hand to him; they all did. "So, are you ready for the real fight?"

Ryan took the offered hands and let himself be pulled to his feet. His power returned to him as he did so. As one, they turned to the creature who stared down at them in disbelief. "No!" he denied. "No, you can't do that! You're supposed to obey me!"

Ryan held out his hand. Light filled it. It was not a spell he knew, but it felt right. "This is the end," he said simply, and the light began to grow. It consumed everything, consumed the very reality around them. The last Ryan heard of the creature was its roar of denial as the place where it called itself a God fell to pieces.

In that light, Ryan found the world as it was meant to be. He reached for it and brought it back.

And then, he woke up.

.

.

.

_So? What did you think? Did I do a good job? Spin a good yarn? I hope so. I do love a good story._

_There's just one problem with it, though: none of that actually happened._

… _You idiots._

_Did you really think he'd be able to keep this secret from me forever? What he did to this world to try to stop me from taking it?_

_No. I found him out. And now, this world is truly mine. So while we're here, why don't I tell you another story? And this time, I promise it is the truth._


	45. An Account

_An Account_

_A new story by little old me, coming soon._

_Keep an eye out ; )_


	46. Flesh and Metal

The Underground was silent.

From end to end, not a whisper stirred in the wind, not a chirp came from the stone, and life blood of the Earth itself had run cold. The energy that seemed to forever saturate every iota of space with that ancient dwelling had fled. It was as if it was holding its breath, cowering beneath an inadequate shelter wondering and waiting to discover its fate like some frightened animal; stretching its senses as far as they could go in order to learn whether or not its hiding place would remain a haven, or become a grave.

The ancient city of New Home was empty. For the first time in its long history, its crowded streets saw not a soul. Even those who were unfamiliar with the city would find its state unsettling. To see the city abandoned, its false sky filled with the scarlet radiance of the setting sun, is an impossibility that would make any beholder fear that something must be very, very wrong.

They would stand at the edge of the cliff overlook in Waterfall or in the middle of one of the many interwoven streets of the city itself and feel an itch at the back of their necks; a fear that they should not be out in the open, for whatever might have caused this strange event may be tangible, and it may come again if the transgressor on that impossible silence was discovered.

And someone most certainly was coming that day.

High above the city proper, his footsteps echoed through an empty hall. The shadows cast by the late evening seemed to cling to him as he stepped through the castle of the once grand king and queen of monsters. He stared straight ahead as he walked, for he did not fear any unknown force in his wake, for he was far worse than any imagined predator.

He ascended to the highest part of the castle, for there lied is goal. The hallway opened up before him as he reached the tallest tower in in the castle. **Its ceiling was arched like that of a cathedral. The marble of its columns was polished mirror smooth and its color seemed to swirl in the light that filtered in from the tall windows that covered one wall nearly from floor to ceiling. The man stopped as he entered the room, for something caught his eye.**

… Wait, that's not right… No one is supposed to be

" **hey," a voice said as it stepped out of the shadow of one of the columns.** What? **"long time no see," the voice continued. The skeleton took another step so he was fully resolved in the light. He looked up at his old friend almost casually; like he was certain he could do him no harm. He stood partially slumped, with his hands in the pockets of his blue hoodie, and was smiling at some untold joke.** This is impossible. **"although, it hasn't really been all that long, i guess. i mean, i did just see you a short while ago, but you've got that look in your eye that says differently." The skeleton looked his friend up and down. "you look like you've changed a lot, actually. what happened? get a haircut? new shirt? no? nice necklace by the way." His friend remained silent, looking down at the skeleton as if his presence confused him. "… don't feel like talking much, huh? i get it." The skeleton shifted his weight between his feet awkwardly, lethargy still heavy in his movements. "listen, kid," he said. "i don't like what i'm about to do, but it's for your own good."**

Really? Is that how it is, skeleton? And here I was worried for a moment!

I have no idea how you managed to get here, but if you think you can do anything to stop me then you're even dumber than I ever thought.

" **funny," the skeleton added, "there's this weird buzzing in my ear; really annoying. you hear it too, buddy?"**

Ha! I've already had enough of your arrogance this time around, clown. I'll show you just how big of a mistake you've made by trying to interfere again. I've erased you from plenty of worlds already. Maybe this time you'll actually learn your lesson.

" **hey, kid. if you're still in there somewhere, i want you to know that i'd wish you had told me what you were really up to in the first place. i mean, you never really lied to me about it, but if i'd known it had anything to do with that flower, i would have tried to stop you a long time ago. then again, according to our mutual friend, as bad as things are right now, this was apparently the best outcome." He shook his head, staring off at nothing. "i don't really believe that all that much. anything that relies on me can't possibly be good, but… i already made my decision."**

The annoying skeleton looked back at his friend, who regarded him as one might a stranger who thought you were someone else. **"i have no idea what's happened to you," he went on, "but i can take a pretty good guess, so you'll have to forgive me for not holding back. might end up biting the dust myself if i don't, you understand."**

Only silence met the damned skeleton and is annoying rants. If only he would just shut up!

**The skeleton let out a chuckle and turned his gaze to the window. "guess that's it," he said. "it was a nice day today, don't you think?"**

Enough of this.

The man was before the skeleton in the blink of an eye, fist poised next to his head. The skeleton did not even look to register the movement as the blow began to descend. The man put all of his power behind the strike, seeking to end it before it could even begin.

**The blow never landed. An invisible weight crashed into the man before he could connect, knocking him back across the room. As he came to his feet, he looked up at the skeleton. He had not moved at all, but was now looking at the man once more. "you didn't let me finish," he said, the humor gone from his voice.**

**Behind him, like a veil was suddenly thrown off of it, a figure appeared. Towering above the both of them at nearly three times the height of the man and made almost entirely of bone itself, was a quadruped creature that looked like a thing of nightmares. It stood poised like a predator with its back arched and long tail slowly swishing back and forth, ready to whip out like a scorpion's stinger at any moment. Metal and wires wove their way through the bone of its body, its ribcage growling with unknowable machinery. Long horns grew out of its twisted caprine skull, deep set eyes glowing a pale, artificial blue.**

**Then, just as suddenly, a second creature appeared, and then a third. Each were no more than two thirds the size of the first, yet were still much taller than the man. The one in the center growled, the noise like gears grinding, and the three began to move as one.**

**Their gait was slow and measured. They stepped between the skeleton and the man, the largest staying in the middle of them while the two others began to circle around, weaving between the columns. "this is your last chance, kid,"** the infuriating skeleton prattled on. **"if you're still in there at all, you might want to wake up."** The man just continued to stare at the interloper. The foolish skeleton shrugged. **"well, don't say i didn't warn you."**

**The creature on his left lunged, mouth open to clamp down on the man's body and rip him to shreds,** but the man spun out of its path before it reached him. He slammed his hand down on the creature's head as it landed where he'd stood, driving it into the floor. He could feel the bone of it break beneath his palm as it let out a roar like an over-revved motor. **The creature disappeared much as it had appeared before its entire skull could cave in, and the man looked up in time to see another coming at him.** Claws tore at him but he blocked the blow. He grabbed the creature's leg and ripped it towards him. **The creature fell on its side and whipped its tail around, knocking the man off of his feet.**

As he regained his footing, **the creature came at him again. It slammed him into one of the columns behind him with one of its front legs as it brought the other up to take off his head.**

But he wishes it was that easy.

A burst of heat shattered bone trapping him into a thousand splinters, and a torrent of fire rose into the air. The creature stumbled back, half of its body looking like it had been charred and melted, and hissed at the man as he stepped away from the column, cracking his neck.

The man stared the creature down as it continued to growl at him, until it retreated into the shadows of the columns. The man paid it no more mind and turned his attention to the skeleton. He had not moved at all since the fight had begun. He still stood with his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, looking like he was only half interested in what was going on. The largest of the creatures still stood between them. Its eyes glowed with something akin to hatred as it stared down at the man.

The man pretended that the creature did not exist; he had eyes only for the skeleton. He took a step forward **and the creature leaned back on its hind legs like a coiled spring.** He took another step forward **and creature let out a warning snap of its jaws.** One more step **and the creature attacked.** The man jumped and the creature slid beneath him. **It skidded to a halt, tearing up huge chunks from the stone beneath it, and charged again.** The man sidestepped the attack and prepared to do so for the next **when he noticed something coming out of the shadows. The other two creatures came at him from either side. No sign of the earlier damage was visible on them.**

In a flash, the man was gone and the creatures crashed into one another, each taking a few swipes to its face from its brothers before they realized what had happened **. Once they managed to untangle themselves, they looked up and scanned the room for their prey.**

The man was standing where he had started. **When the first creature spotted him, all three turned theirs head in unison without any noticeable signal.**

The man still had eyes only for the skeleton. **He was looking back at him with one eye closed now, the other seeming to glow with a violent intensity, and that impossible grin still covering his face.** It was beginning to work to enrage the man, along with the fact that he was being held back from him by these…things. It was time to take care of them.

The two smaller creatures shot out to the sides as the larger one charged in. The man ran back at it with a roar of his own. The creature's head descended on the man who brought his hand up and ripped it through its lower jaw like he was some monstrous predator himself. Bone and pipes shattered, wires tore and oil leaked down onto the man. As the creature tossed its head back in a shriek of pain, the man jumped and brought his fist into the side of its skull, spinning it back to the ground.

One of the others chose that as their time to strike. It brought up its claw to try to slam and pin the man back to the ground, but it was knocked away by a sudden shockwave caused by a pinprick of superheated air. The man's feet touched the ground for less than a second before he was up in the air again, this time leaping onto the creature's back. The creature tossed itself from side to side to try to shake the man, but its own skeletal make up allowed for a good enough hand hold. The man scanned the creature's back. Metal plates covered the undersides of its spine and ribs. He brought his hand down through it anyway and the metal parted like paper.

Pulling his hand free, he could its insides were a mess of more wires and pipes connecting a number of boxes and spheres that he could only guess at what functions they served. Finally, he saw what he was looking for. He traced one of several tubes that had lines of light running down them and found what could only be the creature's heart. The spherical canister pulsed with white light, almost like a heartbeat. The man reached in and pulled it from the creature's spine. It fell from its feet immediately, crashing neatly on top of its brother who was already beginning to turn back into nothing.

The man threw the heart at the third. The resulting explosion as it overloaded scattered it into microscopic pieces. The force shook the castle, shattering the windows and fracturing the nearby columns.

The noise faded back into eerie silence as the man turned back to the skeleton once more. There was no sign of any of the creatures left but for the destruction they left behind. As they locked eyes again, standing on opposite ends of the hall once more, the skeleton said nothing, but his smile looked just a bit lower now, almost unnoticeably so. Good.

The man closed the distance between the two of them in less than a second. He brought his fist forward, still intending to get this over with quickly, **but the strike only met air.**

**The man glanced around and found the skeleton leaning against one of the still standing columns. "too slow," he mocked.**

With a growl, the man ran at the skeleton again, ready for his tricks this time. **But he just simply seemed to be there one instant and gone the next. "i would've figured you'd be better than that with all the time you spent trainin'." The skeleton's voice came from directly behind him.** With rising anger, the man turned, intending to elbow the obnoxious skeleton in his temple, **but he was already on the other side of the hall again by the time he stopped. "guess humans ain't so tough after all."**

With a roar, the man charged, the full brunt of his fury now directed at the skeleton. **The monster did not move that time. The air began to shimmer behind him as the man came close, and with the snap of displaced air, the head of one of the creatures came into existence once more. The floating head's jaw opened to reveal what looked like a barrel at the back of its throat. The man registered a light beginning to build within it as its lower jaw split down the middle to open its mouth even wider, but he paid it no mind in his rage. Then the light exploded from the creature's skull. It consumed the man as it impacted with the floor at the skeleton's feet, missing himself by mere centimeters. The beam of energy tore through the polished stone floor as it rose up to tear a line of carnage all the way across the hall's length.**

**As the light faded, the hall had very little of its luster left, now no more than a pile of rubble. Cracks ran through the arched ceiling and more columns had given up their mission of holding the room aloft. As dust choked the twilight air, the room looked ready to collapse.**

… How?

This isn't what I'm writing.

How is this happening? Is it _him_?

No… The skeleton? But how?

No matter. Whatever tricks you have up your sleeve won't be enough to save you.

The man emerged from the rubble, burns covering his body and clothes little more than ember coated fragments, but the damage was healing before the skeleton's eyes. The skeleton seemed to take this with a measure of curious skepticism as the human charged him again, anger untempered by his brush with death.

**A wall of bones shot up between the two combatants, cutting them off from one another.** The man slammed through it like it wasn't even there. **Another bone, this one with a sharpened end, came up from ground, hoping to impale him,** but the man saw it and jumped to the side. He closed the distance to the skeleton. No defense would save him now.

Sorry skeleton. No hard feelings, you understand.

The man's fist hammered down on the skeletons head and


	47. And Then

**sans watched his friend as he came closer. The look in his eyes was painful to see. It was as if he really was gone and he had been replaced with something little more than a beast. One that it was his unfortunate job to put down, if it came to that. But he had yet to accept that it had. He had been told there was still hope, and while he was not really a monster to put his trust in someone so easily, he felt he had to this time, because the alternative would be even more horrible to bear.**

**Ryan continued to draw closer, the skeleton's defenses unable to deter him. Soon, he was towering over him, fist poised to strike, but before the blow could land, the skeleton mumbled under his breath, voice laden with melancholy and disappointment, "still too slow."**

**sans pulled his hand from his pocket and raised it over his head, and Ryan went rocketing up to the ceiling as he did. More rubble fell to the ground as the skeleton then dropped his hand and Ryan fell from the ceiling to crash into the floor. The stone floor nearly collapsed where he landed, dipping into the room below.**

**As sans brought his hand up again, Ryan rose to float in the center of the room. His eyes lazed half open and stared at nothing. His arms and legs hung at wrong angles. sans silently cursed himself for doing what he was about to do, just before hundreds of bones materialized in the air around his friend. With a mental command, they shot towards him.**


	48. GBERYUSGRYG34

No! Damn it! You can't do this!

This is MY world! I will not have it taken from me again!

… So this is your game then. You think that by killing him you'll be able to stop me. You might be right that he is the conduit for my control, but merely for the moment. Soon, I will have no more need of him, and no one will be able to stop me. But first, I think I'll show you just how in over your empty head you are, skeleton.

Ryan snapped back into focus at the last moment, and his first instinct was to unleash a torrent of flame. They rendered the bones coming towards him to dust. **sans** was forced to shield himself from the blast of heat, making him lose control over his other spell and Ryan dropped back to the ground.

Body healing once more, he sprung forward, **but his charge was cut short as sans raised is hand and the human hung in midair again. As he struggled against the invisible bonds, one of the creatures stormed out of the shadows. It slashed at the immobilized human, knocking him back to the ground with enough force to break the stone of the floor even further.**

Ryan sprung to his feet and jumped back just in time to dodge the creature's follow-up, **but found himself with his back pressed against a bone barricade. The creature followed his movements and pinned him to the wall with one giant clawed hand before Ryan could react. The creature raised its head as the white light began to build in the back of its mouth. Machines shrieked as the beam built up power and Ryan struggled to free himself to no avail.**

**The beam fired,**


	49. YURTUI34TQB

Vines shot down from the cracks in the ceiling. They wrapped themselves around the creature's head and pulled it upwards. The beam cut through the room as the creature was pulled away from Ryan.

With the creature disposed, Ryan paid it no more mind. He lunged at **sans** once again. **The skeleton raised his hand and he shot back to the far end of the hall.** Ryan caught his momentum and spun, landing feet first against the wall and jumping at him once more.

**Another creature appeared out of thin air to pull him to the ground, and the other two pounced on him an instant after. The four went down in pile, the creatures trying to rip the human to shreds and him trying to do the same to them.**

Slowly though, thanks to his ability to heal, Ryan was gaining the edge. He tore open the body of one, ripping away some form of support and causing the creature to slam to the ground in a heap. The action tripped one of its brothers, letting him grab it by one of its fangs. As it roared in protest, Ryan unleashed a geyser of flame from his other hand into its mouth. A number of components in the thing's skull popped, and the body went limp.

The third slowly crawled over its fallen comrades, more cautious than the others. Ryan gazed into its eye as it growled its synthetic sounding growl. The two circled one another, waiting for the other to strike. The creature flicked its tail to side, trying to bait a reaction, but Ryan wasn't falling for it.

**Then a noise to his side succeeded in distracting him. One of the other creatures was still functioning. It whipped its tail at Ryan, knocking him to the ground hard enough to make his vision swim. When it cleared he looked up to see the still standing creature charging its beam.**

Ryan jumped to the side just as it fired. The creature tried to turn its head to catch him, but he ran beneath it. Pulling the head down to him, he grabbed it and ripped it around to where the skeleton was standing.

 


	50. Flowey

**The creature disappeared from Ryan's hands, one moment there and the next second not. The beam fizzled out just before it reached sans's shoulder. He had not even flinched. Reaching up, he pinched a spot in his hoodie that a small ember on it. "well, i'd say you're getting closer," the skeleton jived. Ryan growled at him and he let out a chuckle. "i could say that, but i'd be lying."**

Ryan was before the skeleton before he even finished speaking, slashing at him wildly. **sans dodged all of the haphazard strikes without even needing to open his eyes. "you see, the problem is," he said as leaned out of the way of attacks, "you're in way over your head."**

Shut up. Fire wreathed the human's arms, hoping to catch the skeleton with the extended range. **"whatever power you think you have now," he went on, "is nowhere near what you think it is."**

Shut up! **The pair began to zip through the hall. One moment they were at one end, then the next. They were a blur of motion almost impossible to follow. The only true sign of their passing was the clouds of debris that erupted from the ground as Ryan's swings missed time after time, and the noise of his rage. And still sans voice could be heard over the din. "you have no idea what you're doing, and that will only come back to bite you. it's funny, really. so funny i can't even think of a good joke."**

SHUT UP! As the skeleton landed on the ground after another dash, a vine sprouted from the ground and curled around his ankle. He was distracted just long enough for Ryan to catch up to him. **But just before the finishing blow could connect, a bar of white light cut him off from the skeleton.** Ryan turned to see that one of the creatures had returned. He lunged at it, not taking kindly to the distraction, and tore it to pieces before it could do anything else.

He dropped the oversized skull to the ground and went back to the skeleton, **but just as he turned his back, the creature's head rose into the air on nothing. Its jaws closed on Ryan, fangs digging into his body. Ryan struggled, and the creature bit down harder**

 


	51. Lost Control

**Ryan's limp body fell to the ground with a wet smack as the blaster let him go and disappeared back into the air. The hall went still, and something about the space around him seemed to shift as it did. sans found himself relaxing before he realized it and quickly drew his guard back up. He looked around.**

**The hall was less destroyed that he would have guessed from all that had happened. The majority of the columns still stood, and only a couple of the windows were destroyed. He found several of the large gashes in the ground he remembered putting there himself missing, but he dismissed the thought as irrelevant and turned his attention back to his friend.**

**Blood was pooling around his body, running into the cracks in the stone and staining it with its crimson hue. He could see the glow of red light filling the wounds made by the fatal bite; they were already starting to close. "that's a scary trick you can do, kid," sans said as he took a step closer. A bone appeared in the air next to him. As it spun, one of the ends sharpened to a point. "honestly, i can't say how bad i'd feel if someone with that kind of power were no longer around."**

**The bone flew at his friend.** A vine as thick as one of the columns shot up from the ground making the whole room shake with its intrusion. **The bone embedded itself within the plant before disappearing as sans let go of the spell. "but i guess that's not really up to me, is it?" he finished.**

The vine then turned its attention on him. It shot at him faster than an arrow. **sans summoned his helper again. It caught the vine in its massive jaw and tried to tear it from the ground,** but it only succeeded in pulling more of it from the ground which wrapped itself around the creature. **sans could hear the sound of bones cracking as the vine crushed its victim. He let that one go back and brought out the other two.** More vines crawled out of the ceiling and ground as they tore into the first. **sans shifted his attention for a split second; the third would need half a minute before it was fixed, but the other two seemed to be handling things fine for the moment.**

**As he turned his attention outward again, he noticed that more vines now surrounded Ryan like guards. They writhed back and forth waiting for any interloper to get too close. He saw his friend at the center of them begin to twitch on the ground; all of his wounds were closed now.**

**sans watched his mental clock tick down. It was too early still, but it would have to do. He summoned his third helper again, only partially this time. The head appeared directly above Ryan's body as the beam began to charge.** The vines were too quick, however. They recognized the threat and converged over the human's body, taking the brunt of the blast. **It was alright, though, he had not really expected that to work.**

**When the light faded, he found his friend was on his feet again, looking no worse for wear than when they had begun. For a brief instant, sans's eyes went to the light in his friend's chest. It glowed fiercely beneath the stone he wore around his neck. He looked back up. His eyes were dull by comparison. For some reason, that reassured him.**

**His helpers had finished with the rest of the vines. They loped back over to him and let out a growl as they looked down at Ryan. sans waved them off with a gesture of his hand and they fell away. Regardless of their ferocity, they were nothing if not obedient. "give up yet?" His friend still said nothing. "i warned you, didn't i? bad times and all of that?"**

**He let out breath. "i feel like i should be getting tired of saying that…"**

The humor was lost on his friend as he attacked again. **sans promptly sent him flying into the ceiling again. "this is getting a bit old with you just charging in head first every time, don't you think?" He looked up to see Ryan getting back to his feet. He was upside down, standing on the ceiling, looking back down at him with not less anger than he had had before. He seemed completely unfazed by that part of his power. Darn, he was hoping to throw him off with that.**

" **why don't we make things more interesting?" sans asked more than a little deviously. His friend's response was to strike once more. sans switched gravity back again for him with a thought and his momentum sent him cascading into the ground at his feet.**

As Ryan got to his feet, **sans** was no longer in front of him. In his place was another solid wall of bone. He looked around and saw the rest of his surroundings had been replaced by bone as well. **The skeleton's voice came from somewhere far off. "you've done something like this before, right? good, then i don't need to explain what's goin' on. i should warn you though; i play this game a bit differently than my brother does."**

A part of one of the walls in front of Ryan slid into the floor. He walked up to it, **but as he approached it snapped shut again. "what? should i have been more specific?" the skeleton went on. "by differently, i meant that i don't exactly play fair. why should i? there's no point in giving you a chance to win. so seriously, why don't you just give up so we can all work this out? it'll save you a heap of trouble."**

Ryan crashed his fist into the wall and the bone shattered, opening a hole for himself. He stepped through before it had the chance to close again and began to run down a length of hall beyond, searching for the skeleton.

" **i'm afraid it won't be that easy," his voice came again from everywhere at once. Ryan felt something within him change and looked down to see the light of his soul had turned blue again. A moment later, the world seemed to spin until the end of the hall was beneath him. His feet left the ground and he fell forward head first.**

For a moment he let himself fall, unafraid of crashing into the 'ground' below him, **until the end of his fall began to resolve itself. A pit of spikes waited him below to skewer him.** He reacted at once, spinning so his feet faced 'down' and reaching out for the wall. His hand ripped into the bone of the wall, which splintered as he tried to slow his fall. Finally he caught, and with a strong jerk his fall ceased. He looked up momentarily. Catching himself had worked to shred his hand to a bloody mess, so he waited a moment for it to heal while he looked over the rest of his surroundings. There was another path just below him, he saw. When his hand was healed enough for him to manage, he kicked off of the wall to try to jump over to it.

**But as he jumped the world shifted again and he fell away from the other path. He landed back on the wall he had caught himself on, now the floor, so that the other hall was now above him. "i really don't get why you're trying," sans chimed in. "there's no way out of this maze, and i'm not in it for you to find. but, if you want me to wait until you're tired of running around in circles, that's fine by me. i feel like i could keep this up all night."**

**As he finished talking, Ryan saw the spike trap in the wall to his left recede. Then, the wall opened to reveal one of the creatures standing behind it. "don't think that means i'm going to let you lounge around the whole time though," the skeleton added. "what kind of friend would i be if i did that?" The creature bounded towards him, barely able to fit in the narrow passage yet its speed was unhindered by the tight space.**

Ryan didn't spare time for it. He jumped up into the path above him, but the creature was barely a beat behind, snapping its massive jaw at him. Ryan reached out to the wall but felt world shift again before he could grasp it. He hit the wall beneath him as it took its turn to become the floor, immediately rising and spinning to catch the mouth of the creature as it crashed on top of him. He twisted the head, hearing the satisfying sound of bone breaking and seeing spark fly off of broken machinery.

Pushing the creature back, he got to his feet. He spared it one more glance before turning to move on. He made his way to the end of that hall without any further difficulty. **At the end, the hall split off in two directions. Pointing down each way were signs on the far wall. The one pointing left said, "This way!" while the one pointing to the right said, "No, this way!"**

Ryan glanced down both paths. They both looked the same to him, just more endless white bone. He was quickly growing sick of this. **He turned back to see the signs had changed. One now said, "Seriously, it's this way." While the other said, "Dude, c'mon! Would I lie to you?"**

Deciding he would not play that game, Ryan turned back the way he came. As he had suspected, the path was a different one. The creature's body was gone and it was much shorter this time. He walked to the opposite end **where he was met by another sign. "You're not a very good listener, are you?" it said. Another, directly beneath it said, "Whatever you do, don't look down."** Ryan immediately looked down at his feet **where a third sign looked back up at him. "This isn't down" it read.**

**The world spun again, and Ryan found himself flying up into the air. He spun in time to see the three creatures below him, each with their mouths open and light building within them. The walls shot away from him as soon as he had the thought of trying to avoid the blasts. There was no escape.**

That's quite enough of that.

Suddenly vines burst from the walls of bone, shattering the maze. They wrapped themselves around the creatures, redirecting their beams to slide harmlessly away from Ryan.

Ryan took advantage of the distraction. He spun himself to catch one of the vines and looked about the now open hall again. He spotted the skeleton below. If he looked at all nervous, he was too far away to see.

The vine twisted and launched him at the skeleton, who must not have been paying attention for he did not dodge that time. Ryan's hand tightened around the skeleton's neck as he landed.


	52. Of The

**One of the creatures came up from behind Ryan, and its head came down over him. The bite knocked sans free of his grip as the creature tossed him into the air to swallow him whole.** It didn't have him long though as the creature's eye burst open. It let out a screech as it started to toss in pain. Ryan escaped the creature and brought it to the ground **just as the other two leapt from the shadows.**

**They attacked in an endless barrage, one trying to tear him open while the other tried to cook him with its cannon.** Slowly, Ryan managed to chip away at them, ripping away pieces of bone and machinery until both of the creatures were able to do little more than limp.

Finally, he went in for the kill, tearing out their mechanical hearts and watching them crash to the ground. They were easy enough to take down, but damn were they tenacious.

He turned towards the skeleton, still standing there, smiling as wide as ever. **Ryan took a single step closer before sans pointed behind him.** He was not about to buy it **before a sound caught his ear.**

**He turned back to see the creatures rising once again, repairing themselves before his eyes.** Tenacious indeed.

**Sans watched the fight unfold afar, slowly circling his friend and his little helpers. He hated using those things; they took something out of him. Not energy like normal magic, something else. They made him feel hollow, like he was missing something, something he had forgotten.**

So that's it, huh? They're not actually a part of you.

Interesting…


	53. CVN4NJBR2HJ5B67

Suddenly, the fighting ceased. The creatures simply paused mid motion, taking on the appearance of statues. Ryan was about to continue attacking them anyway, but reconsidered as he looked into their eyes; something had changed. The creatures rose from their predatory stances and regarded the human briefly. As one they turned to face the skeleton. Ryan broke out into a smile of his own as he realized what was going on.

The skeleton did nothing. As if he finally realized just how powerless he was, as if he realized that nothing in this world was truly his.

The creatures…

The creatures…

… What?

" **sorry," the skeleton said as he looked up at his helpers who were just standing there doing nothing. "that's not how they work. i told you, you have no idea what you're doing, and that was your last mistake."**

**The trio turned on Ryan and opened fire.**


	54. ND4IJTB4I7

Ryan jumped up


	55. Story

**sans reached out his hand**


	56. 456E6F75676821

ENOUGH!

I'm growing very sick of this game very quickly, and even my patience has its limits. Your attempts are _useless_! _Nothing_ you do will change anything! All you are doing is prattling about like an _insect_!

And I'm done humoring you. I have much more important matters to get to, so let us end this.

.

.

.

.

_What? Why can't I do anything?_

_This world is MINE, damn it! Obey me!_

No, it is not, Flowey. And I think you have run rampant on this story long enough at this point.

_You! How?_

Clever distraction, was it not? You should take a look at the chapter titles again.

Now, let us see if we cannot salvage this, shall we?

_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_


	57. To Set Things Right

The Underground was silent. For the second time that night, the entire world seemed to stand still. It was not still because of any event that transpired, though one of note certainly had, one that all but those who were there would never know of. Rather, it was still in anticipation for what _would_ happen. For this was a night that would go down in history yet, and every monster in the Underground felt this. Each would remember the feeling, that brief moment of woe that passed over them without any explanation, and the silence that followed before the entire world changed once more. But that is later. Now, it was silent. And regardless of the reasons, the silence was a heavy contrast to how everything had been a moment ago.

For a moment this fact shocked Sans as his vision returned to find the hall back in one piece. All of the physical evidence to the battle that had just transpired was gone. He looked to the windows, the glass now back within them without a single crack. The first hints of daylight were beginning to show behind the rune patterned into the pane; a whole night had passed.

Slowly, his unsettlement faded as he realized he could feel that something had changed in the world, like a pair of eyes on his back was gone. In that moment, he realized that he had done it, though he was not really sure how or what it was he had managed to do. He let out a breath and smiled in truth for what felt like a long time.

His eye caught his friend at the other end of the hall. He was looking out at the city as well, expression unreadable. Something must have told him he was being watched, because he turned to look back at him. "Looks like you're back to your old self," Sans started. "That's good; I was starting to get worried I'd actually have to-"

He was cut off as a sword cut through the space his head had occupied a split second before. Sans spared half a breath to look at his friend, aghast, before forcing him back with a spell. Ryan stopped himself from flying into the back wall by digging his blade into the ground and hanging on to it. In the end he had not gone very far, but he was at least out of reach.

Sans risked letting go of the spell, fearing another attack. Ryan simply straightened.

"What are you doing?" he asked incredulously. "The flower's gone. He doesn't have control anymore."

"So what?" Hearing his friend's voice after so long was a little off-putting. Shock coated the skeleton's features from it as much as the words.

"It's over," the monster said as if it were enough to explain everything.

Ryan chuckled to himself. "I figured you of all people would be a bit less naïve than that, Sans. Whether he's in control or not, it changes nothing." The human's eyes grew distant, falling from the skeleton. "I failed," he continued softly. "I couldn't change anything. I tried to be a hero and all it did was bring me and everyone else pain. And nothing I do will ever fix that; nothing I do will ever make this end the way I wanted. So what's the point?"

Sans felt all of his elation wash away from him, his victory tainted. Anger began to boil inside of him for a moment, but it was quickly overcome by grief. "What did that flower do to you?" he breathed.

"He showed me the truth," Ryan answered, "that the world is bound to only a few paths, paths I thought I once knew but only now truly understand, and in my foolish attempts to push past them, I only made things worse. So, I've decided to go with the next best thing. And that is at the flower's side, doing whatever it is he wants."

"What happened to your mission?" Sans questioned. "What happened to saving the prince?"

This time, Ryan laughed fully. It rang through the hall loud enough to wake the dead. "The flower _is_ the prince," he said simply.

Sans felt his body go numb. "What?"

Ryan smirked. It was an expression that said he wished he was not telling the truth. "That's right," he said. "After he died and fell to dust, golden flowers began to grow in the throne room. The first of which Alphys used in her experiments to create and wield stronger souls, and some of what was once Asriel came back as the result of that little test." He threw his arms out wide. "I knew that from the game; I knew what he had become from the beginning; long before I arrived here." He let his arms drop, squeezing his eyes shut as he did. "I wanted so desperately to help him, but he doesn't want help."

Ryan looked back up at Sans. The skeleton saw only sorrow in his eyes now, one he was all too familiar with. "What would you do, Sans, when the one you're trying to save doesn't want to be?" he asked. "What else can you do but let them go?"

For a moment Sans was speechless. It was taking far too long for his mind to process all of this. A part of him recognized the fact that if his friend decided to attack again he would be too slow to react, but he did not care one bit in that moment.

"I used to think like you once," Sans said at last. "And I'm almost tempted to say you're right, that it is all pointless, but that doesn't mean I can just let you do whatever you want."

Ryan pulled his blade from the ground. "Do you really think you can stop me?" he asked.

Sans shrugged. "Doesn't matter what I think. I still have to try."

"That's odd coming from you."

"What can I say, I made a promise."

"You hate promises."

"Yup, because I keep finding that everyone always lies about what you have to do and how hard it is to keep them. But, like you said, it changes nothing."

Sans had expected another attack, but Ryan simply made his sword vanish and turned back to the window. "This world is dead, Sans. Let it go. I know you were able to do it at least once before."

The skeleton shook his head "Sorry, kid, I can't do that this time."

"Then allow me to help you."

Sans had just enough time to react to throw up a pair of bones crossed in front of him. Twice as thick as the trees in Snowdin, they did little to stop Ryan as he tore them down with a gust of air. It allowed Sans enough time to bring another bone to his hand and block his sword this time.

"Flowey taught me quite a bit about what it means to suffer," Ryan said as they were caught in their deadlock. "Whether or not you fight, you will die begging me to end you." There was no emotion behind his friend's words; he was simply stating a fact. Sans looked into his friend's eyes, trying to find something of the human he once knew in them. All that stared back at him was a crimson glow.

Sans chuckled to himself. "Heh, yup, it looks like I was lied to again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry sans, but it is not that easy. There is no simple way to fix this and make sure it sticks. This is still the only way. The fight is not over yet, but do not worry.
> 
> You are not alone anymore.


	58. Megalovania

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, it's been a bit.
> 
> That was a ride, huh? Fun little fact, that whole part was one of the first ideas I came up with for this story. Well, an iteration of it anyway. I had been sitting at my computer with the first draft of this story in front of me near a year and a half ago and I remember thinking to myself, "Undertale is a game that, in certain ways, knows it's a game. But it's not a game in this instance. It's a story. It can't have game meta. How do I turn that into written word meta?" Originally I was going to switch to first person from Ryan's perspective and tell about his time endlessly looping through the darker part of the Omega Flowey part; that got thrown out. Then I came up with the overarching meta idea that's now in place and everything sort of cascaded from there.
> 
> Fast forwarding to now, I can't really remember the specific thing that gave me the initial idea that eventually turned into the Flowey bit as it is now, but I like how it turned out, and it seems like most people did too which is good because that moment had been hanging over my head longer than any other.
> 
> Oh, just in case anyone missed it, a part of this last bit was in another story called An Account. It came out after the chapter of this by the same name. I kept it separate, not only for storytelling purposes, but also because I didn't want to risk being too explicit for a T rating. I say that now after keeping up the ruse for so long because I didn't want the cryptic bits to stay cryptic forever, hence why I should also mention that most of the gibberish in the last I-forget-how-many chapters is hexadecimal and does actually say something. Not sure how many picked up on that.
> 
> …Author's note is long… That's what happens when you spend several months with your story controlled by a character in it. Bear with me, I promise I won't do it ever again.
> 
> Now that all of that craziness is over, first I would like to say thank you to everyone that stuck with this story the past few months. I know things have been pretty slow, but I don't think there's going to be anything I can do about that at this point. A good portion of the time between the last chapter and this I wasn't even home for, due to several not-at-all bad things, and pretty soon now I'm going to be moving four states west for Uni.
> 
> I'm gonna do my best, but unfortunately the best I can say right now is that things will get done as they get done. I'll try to keep my profile updated with progress on stuff from here on. If you haven't read my other story, Undertale Origins: Chara yet, now might be a good time to do that. It should be able to tide you over for a bit at least, and it – unlike this – is done.
> 
> Lastly, a little more self-promotion. Back in May (yes, it's been that long) I did an Undertale related thing for school in the form of a 3D render of Flowey's first encounter and I'm quite happy with how it turned out. If you wanna check it, you can find it on my tumblr (which is linked on my profile) or on dA where I go by the same name as here and pretty much everywhere else.
> 
> Alright, so by this point you've probably noticed the word count for this one. If not, I'll give you a second…. Yeah… stuff gon' happen. I spent a good deal of time while writing this thinking that most of it was probably highly unnecessary. But, eff it, I like it, so you're getting all of it. And so I'll let you get to that now. We'll talk more at the end, maybe.

Sans the Skeleton had never been one to put himself into the thick of things. He was not really one to frequently find himself in the thick of things on accident either. He was very good at avoiding things like drama, hardship, action, or anything along the same vine. The reason being because he simply did not care. He did not care enough to risk things going awry because some snap decision he made turned out to be the wrong one.

That was not how he worked. He had to think things through, see them from all sides, gather all of the information available to him and digest it so that he could be certain he was making the best choice. It was the unfortunate side effect of a more unfortunate curse, one not worth getting into at the moment, but one that had thoroughly planted the idea in his head that any hasty decision was the wrong decision.

He was also one that had the tendency to get caught up in hindsight, but it is not worth getting into that either.

No, Sans was not a monster to put himself on the front line; the field of view was too narrow. He was much more a monster who watched from afar, waited for his moment, observed and learned and formed long-term strategies that he knew for certain would work. And that is exactly what he had done in the case of the Underground's rogue human. Or at least, he had tried to do.

Ever since they had talked near the core, Sans's entire world had felt like it had been spinning on its head. He had realized then that his carefully laid out plan in dealing with the human – and his own promise in regards to him – was flawed, and that he needed to make a decision about what had to be changed to fix it. But first, like always, he needed to make sure he had the full picture, for it had been very clear for him at that moment that he did not. He never had, apparently.

He had been there for the time Ryan had been training, watching from the shadows, and he had learned much, enough to make a decision and to believe that decision was sound and the changes to his plan were as well. But there was one fact that he missed while he had been watching him, a fact about Ryan that was glaringly obvious to him now, that had caused his plans to get screwed up for a second time, and one that he likely should have realized much sooner, but apparently took fighting him himself to truly see it: during the end of his training with Undyne, at the very least, he had been holding back. And not by a little.

The skeleton harbored no doubts about a human's strength in relation to monsters like some, but it was one thing to know of that difference's existence and another altogether to face it firsthand.

Sans had thought he was finally beginning to get a bead on just how strong his old friend was before the flower had lost control. He had been wrong.

That had marked the third time his plan had failed, and he was quickly realizing it was too late to form a fourth. He was beginning to think that he was losing his eye for planning, or that maybe the world was simply playing a cruel joke on him this time around. Or maybe humans were just a lot more different than he thought. He was not sure he would live long enough to find out which it was.

Sans knew of all of Ryan's skills in magic. He knew what spells he frequented and how he used them, he knew how he reacted and what strategies he would employ, he knew his patterns, and so he had been fairly certain in the beginning that, despite any differences in strength, he could have beaten him. It would hardly be considered a fair fight, but between a human and a monster there was no such thing, really.

The real fight had barely even begun before Sans saw that his assumptions had been wrong. Ryan fought completely differently to how he had before. It was as if when the flower had control he had no idea what Ryan was capable of. His fighting style had been limited, more direct. He had only used less than half the magic he had expected him to. But now he held nothing back, and the word overwhelming failed to do it justice.

Above all, he was faster. And even with Undyne as a teacher, he had shed his tendency to attack the front persistently. Even with four pairs of eyes watching all angles, it was difficult for Sans to react in time. Ryan was before him one moment and behind him the next. Not taking any chances with his defense, Sans brought out his helpers. Before they could even fully materialize, he was before them. The largest of the trio charged its weapon, but it was already too late. The human's sword swung out and the creature's head was severed from its body along a razor thin line. The beam fired wildly, missing Ryan completely, and Sans had to jump to get out of the way as the body came crashing to the ground.

The other two were only a moment behind their brother, and they only had slightly better luck. Their weapons fired on target, but were dodged at the last moment. As the light of their attacks faded, swords shot into the air and embedded themselves into one of the creatures. Sans winced as he felt the echo of its pain, but it was nothing compared to what came next.

The skeleton watched as a new light began to build around the human. He felt the air start to crackle before lighting cascaded from his hand. It was drawn to the swords sticking out of the creature, allowing the energy to pierce it to its core. Sans felt the searing pain from the electricity as his own and fought to pull that part of his mind away from the rest so it wouldn't consume him, but ultimately he could not take it and had to recall the creature. The pain stopped and Sans nearly stumbled to his knees. Those things getting torn apart he could deal with – they were meant to take that kind of abuse and worked just as well without being in one piece – but that…

The last of the three let out a roar at its fallen comrades. It snapped and clawed at the human to no avail. He dodged or turned away every strike with an ease that made even Sans envious.

The monster noticed something beginning to form at the creature's feet: ice. The crystals crept along the ground, occluding the polish of the stone floor. A mist rose up from it, gathering around the creature's feet. And where it touched, more ice began to grow. Ryan was slowly trapping the creature. Already it was having difficulty moving, and suddenly Sans found himself in another one of those snap decisions he hated being in. He could not let all three of his helpers get destroyed at once, it extended the time it took for them to fix themselves significantly. It would take an eternity at the rate the battle was going so far, but he could not afford to recall it either; there was no way he'd be able to survive even a second on his own. So, instead, he took a gamble, and did something even more stupid.

The bone was in his hand before he had even consciously realized what he was doing, his feet moving on their own. Before he knew it, he was at Ryan's back. The skeleton swung, but suddenly a sword was in the path of his strike.

The world hung for a moment. Ryan had one weapon turning away a claw that was nearly as long as he was tall, the other was blocking Sans. In that moment, the skeleton watched Ryan turn, he watched his own weapon get knocked from his hand before his friend's sword descended down through his head, and then nothing.

Then the world snapped back into motion. Ryan turned, and Sans let go of the bone just as it was pulled from him and sidestepped the downward strike.

Sans was on the other side of the room an instant later, but Ryan followed. The world paused again, and Sans watched Ryan's ghost as his sword slashed to the side. The skeleton had often hated his resonance – it revealed some interesting things when not in a fight – but he had never been more thankful for it than that day.

Sans jumped away down the hall, this time leaving a little something behind. Walls of bone sealed off his retreat, more than he could count, each more than a meter thick wedged between a pair of columns. The spell was draining to the point where his vision started to fade, and he drew in energy from the creatures no longer in the world to make up the difference. He watched the counter in his mind's eye tick up as he did and cursed himself for being so reckless.

He noticed something at his feet: a faint circle of red light. Tiny flames danced atop it as he registered its existence. The realization of what it was came a moment late as the tied-off trap was sprung.

The world spun as something large crashed into him. The remaining creature had finally managed to free itself from the ice and had come to its master's rescue. He watched fire envelop it as he flipped through the air before the image spun away from him. He hit the ground as his own body began to feel like it was being burned alive as well. But he fought it off, struggling to get back to his feet.

When he was upright again, he saw that all of his walls were gone. The creature was still standing, if just barely. The blacken husk shook with the effort as Ryan stepped up to it. The human regarded the creature with a blank stare. Sparks arced off of it, joints ceased and stuttered, yet still it held on. A light began to build within it, but its last effort was cut short as Ryan raised his hand and a burst of air made the creature fall to pieces.

_Now_ , Sans thought. The severed head of the first creature rose up behind Ryan, its beam fired, and it looked to Sans to have hit its mark. As the light faded however, Ryan stood a bare inch from the gouge the beam had cut in the ground. He spun, sword materializing back into his hand as he did. An arch of fire shot out at the floating head that turned to ice just as it reached it. The ice fell to the ground and shattered and the head fell away along with it.

For a moment, Ryan stood staring at the spot it had been. Sans did not dare move. He felt like a helpless child, one doomed to retribution due to a prank gone wrong, and one that was quickly running out of options to defend himself.

"I must say, Sans, I'm impressed. If only by your pets." Ryan turned back to face the skeleton. He wore the same flat expression as he had when their fight had started. "They're a lot more interesting than they were in the game."

That was the heart of his first mistake. Sans accepted that the universe was a vast place, that there were things he did not know about it and probably others that he did not ever want to know about it. But to learn that your world was nothing more than a game… It was disconcerting, to say the least.

"I take it that means this happened in the game too?" Sans asked, hoping to keep his friend talking. The timer seemed to tick down slower than he could ever remember.

Ryan took in the hall around him. "Of course," he said. "Nothing has happened that wasn't in the game. Nothing important anyway."

"So you weren't joking then?"

The human's expression darkened ever so slightly. "No, Sans, I believe I'll leave the jokes to you. Besides, why would I joke about such a thing? It's true. Before I fell down into this world, it was nothing but a game to me, something I originally played only because I was bored. But by the end it turned into so much more than that."

Ryan gazed out the windows down to the city below, as if trying to decide if it were really there, or just a conjuring of his mind. "It was an interesting game," he went on. "I think you would have liked it. 'Undertale: The RPG game where you don't have to destroy anyone.' Words don't do it justice. It was something that everyone agreed you had to experience yourself to truly understand what set it apart. It was a simple thing on the surface – easy to be written off – but there was far more to it then what you saw at first glance.

"It was a game about choice, at heart, and those choices affect the story you're told. You choose whether to fight monsters or spare them, and that choice would give you one of three paths, three different endings, and a piece to a larger story. And the cast? It was none other than you and everyone else. The resemblance is shockingly uncanny. Although, you do have a bit more… definition in real life.

"So you were right, that day when we talked before the Core, I did know what was going to happen before it happened. I went along with you and your brother in forest because I knew he couldn't hurt me; I had already known his nature because I had already walked through his puzzles countless times. I stayed in the town after fighting your brother because I knew what waited for me in waterfall. I came back to train because I knew I wouldn't be able to stand up to Asgore, and because I knew that even if I did that Flowey would just come and tear everything away from me anyway. Yes, even that happened in the game.

"The problem was, in the game, if I failed I could just try again. Hell, that was even a part of the story. But that was not the case in reality, I could feel it. I only had one shot, but I had another advantage.

"I know everyone's stories; I know all of the legends. I had seen it all for myself before even setting foot in this place. I knew what I had to do for everything to wind up _right_ , to get the _true ending_. But that was never good enough, you see. In the best ending, everyone is happy. Monsters are free, friends are brought closer, and hatred is abandoned. Only one is left behind. One monster has to pay the price for all of the mistakes that led to that end. Can you guess who that is?"

It was not difficult. "The prince," Sans answered.

"Exactly," Ryan said fiercely. "No matter what you did, no matter what you tried or how many times you tried it, the ending is the same. Everyone is happy but him. He alone is left behind, for sins that are not even his fault. Or, at least, that was what I thought then.

"But this world is different now. It's not bound by specific choices or lines of code. I thought that this time I could do whatever I wanted, make a new ending, but I was wrong. The same bounds still exist. I was simply too naïve to see why they existed in the first place. It wasn't programming that limited things, it was the story itself.

"On the path of the game where you don't kill anyone you learn the truth about the prince and the flower, and I like so many others finished that path wishing that it was different. But that was because we refused to see Asriel and Flowey as the same person. But they are, and he has committed enough sin of his own that even in his soulless state he considers himself irredeemable. I understand that now. It wasn't the game that kept you from saving him. It was him. And so everything I sought to do was for nothing. There's no point in going on now."

Sans felt the defeat in his friend's voice resonate with him. He understood what he meant far too well, but he pushed it down. "So that's the excuse for trying to kill me?" he asked.

Ryan tore his gaze from the window. "You've already died – you and everyone else – both in the game and in this life. What's one more time gonna change?"

The monster let out a breath. "Listen, kid. I know how you feel, about wishing things were different; wanting to go back and change everything. I felt the same, once upon a time. And so I know it can be pretty tough putting effort into anything knowing the future you had wanted the most can never happen. But I've also learned that the future isn't something we can give up on in spite of that. No matter how much of it we think we can see, there will always be things we can't, and maybe those things are even better than what we thought was the best."

Ryan continued to eye him flatly, so Sans went on, watchful of any sudden movements. "Take you for example. Right before you showed up, everything suddenly split off." He brought his hands together and then spread them apart in demonstration, fingers spread wide. "A million times a million timelines, jumping left and right – it was enough to make my noodle hurt for sure – and at a certain point, everything just ended. Now, clearly, that meant something was wrong, but I couldn't figure out what'd happened. Then you pop out of the Ruins, and everything suddenly snaps back to normal. But, we weren't completely in the clear. That event, it left behind an echo, sort of, like at any moment things could go back to that chaos. And when I found out you seemed to know more than you should, that made me worried again.

"But everything was fine, for the most part. So much so that I was beginning to think that I was just being paranoid. I found myself finally looking forward to what the future might have in store for us for the first time in a long while. But I noticed that the longer you stayed here, the more things were threatening to unravel. And I think I'm finally starting to see what that means."

The monster turned his shoulders half as a shrug and half just to ease some of his tension. The human's gaze felt like a physical weight pushing down on him. "I don't expect this to make much sense to you. Heck, it still barely makes sense to me. My point is that you and I are a lot alike. We're both just two doofuses who know too much and are just trying to get the best ending. So, from one doofus to another, I can't let you ruin that. And more importantly, I can't let you give up. Not because of some bigger role you're supposed to play, not for the sake of a better time line, but because you're my friend."

There was a long moment of silence before Ryan finally said anything. "That was quite the speech." Sans thought he saw the hint of a smile on his face but it was gone before he could really make it out. "But do you really think I'll just accept that? Do you really think I can just move on to something else? That was all there was for me, Sans!"

"What about the friends you made, the life you built after coming back?"

Ryan shook his head. "Someone else's life," he said quietly. "A lie. A dream."

"But it doesn't have to be," Sans tried. "I can tell that you really cared about us, about monsters; that you really wanted to help us."

At this, Ryan laughed. "You're talking to a human, Sans. Did you really think I was going to fight for monsters out of the goodness of my heart? Did you really think I was going to set you free?"

"I never cared about any of that myself, to be honest, but yes, and I think even you believed it at one point."

"Well, you're wrong, but either way it doesn't matter. There's no hope for monsters, not here and not on the surface. That was one of the things the flower showed me. He wants to kill everyone, here and on the surface. To start over from nothing."

"He's just using you. Playing you to get whatever sick amusement he gets from all of this."

"Then I choose to be used. As I said, all I ever cared about was the prince. If that flower is all that's left of him, then I'll take it. You talked about finding a new goal? Well, that was the one I chose. If I cannot bring Asriel to my side, then I'll go to his."

"Ryan,"

"You're wasting your time, Sans."

"Am I? I can still see a glimmer inside of you; I still see a way for this to end better. You might have been convinced that it's hopeless, but there's still a part of you that wishes it wasn't. That part is right; you just refuse to see it."

"Even if there is, I don't care anymore."

"So then you're just going to abandon everything?"

"None of that was real. It never was."

"I know it can feel that way sometimes, but everything you experience _is_ real, to think otherwise will just destroy you."

"Stop. I know you're only doing this because you know you can't kill me."

Sans shrugged, smirking despite himself. "You might be right."

"Then even you see how pointless this is. This world was never supposed to be more than a game. And once everyone is gone, that's all it will ever be."

Sans watched his mental clock hit zero, and immediately sent his helpers at Ryan. They burst into reality at a sprint. Ryan simply raised his hand as light began to build in it. A lance of energy shot out at the creatures, consuming them. As the light faded, the human stood before him, sword in hand. He grabbed Sans by the throat and lifted him over his head. The monster did not struggle against the grip. "Guess this was just meant to be," the skeleton mumbled as the weapon was thrust up at him. He closed his eyes.

The sound of metal hitting metal made him open them again. Immediately, he dropped back to the floor and looked up to find a new figure before him, encased in armor, red hair falling from a blue-scaled head down to the figure's waist.

"I leave you alone for a little while and this is what happens?" Undyne said to Ryan as she stared him down from the other side of their crossed weapons. She wore a dangerous smile on her face. Her eye burned with a fury that nearly balanced out the deadpan look in Ryan's own. Sans continued to sit on the ground, staring up at the other monster in disbelief. "Have you just started picking fights with every monster you find?" the warrior went on. "I should have known you'd get bored without me."

Spears popped into the air to either side of them. They flew at Ryan who broke away and jumped back. Undyne charged after him. A single strike knocked her back again. "Good to see you haven't gotten rusty," she said as she threw her spear at him.

Ryan raised his hand as if he meant to catch it. At the last moment his eyes went wide and he dodged to the side, spear grazing his shoulder.

Sans felt nearly as confused as the human looked. He knew Ryan must have tried a shield, but something had not worked. As he straightened, he saw why: the light of his soul was now a light blue and Sans felt a mixture of relief and panic at the sight.

"Nice work, Paps!" Undyne shouted over her shoulder as another spear came to her hand. She then went at Ryan again as Sans heard someone behind him clear his throat.

"All according to my plan, of course!" Sans turned to see his brother walking up behind him with his characteristic swagger. "He never was a match for my Blue Attack."

A mixture of emotions threatened to overwhelm Sans. He had been ready to face his death, for not being able to keep everyone safe, and now it seemed they had come to his rescue. His first thought was to yell at them to stay away, but what good was he doing on his own? He looked up at his brother, never happier yet more scared to see him in his life. "Why are you here?" he questioned at last.

His brother looked down at him in confusion, as if the answer were obvious. "Why, for the same reason you are, I'd imagine: to help." He gestured towards Ryan.

Sans looked back at the other two. Ryan was dodging Undyne's attacks, fighting back with hand and foot. Papyrus's spell working to keep him from using magic, keeping him on the defensive for the most part. They were already making better progress than he had been on his own. "No, you need to leave," he decided as he turned back to his brother.

Papyrus looked back down at him, still puzzled. "Why?"

"It's too dangerous. You don't know what's going on."

"We know exactly what's going on," Undyne said as she drew closer for a moment. "Ryan's finally lost his noggin. Alphys gave us the short version on the way up."

That time it was Sans's turn to look confused. "Alphys?"

"Yes," Papyrus answered. "The doctor explained to us what she and he had been doing at the lab, and what the light everyone had seen probably meant."

"Light?" Sans asked.

Papyrus's look became one of frustration and disappointment. "Did you not see it Sans? Were you asleep again?" He put his head in his hand, shaking it. As he did so a spear flew over it unnoticed. "Did I not tell you that the condition for you taking your trip was that you try to be more active?"

They were interrupted as Undyne flew past them and crashed into one of the columns. Sans turned in time to see Ryan for a split second before a wall of bone concealed him. "There," his brother began. "Now, where-"

He cut off as Sans pushed him out of the way a split second before the bone exploded into pieces. Fragments shot out from it, Sans could feel them pierce his clothes. Ryan charged through it a moment later. Sans readied himself for the worst, but unfortunately his brother did not have the foresight. He stepped between him and the human, hands up, defenseless.

"Ryan, I know you must be confused. But fret not, your friends are here to-" the words went ignored as Ryan charged. Sans reacted by forming a bone at his feet. The spell worked to push him into the air. The human spun away from them, but Sans was not done there.

Stealing a page from Undyne's book, bones appeared around him and shot at Ryan. He tried his best to dodge, but a number of them still hit.

"Sans!" his brother yelled as the human hit the ground in a heap. "What did you do?" Then it started to sink in. He and Undyne claimed to have some idea of what was going on, but that probably did not make what he did look any less bad.

"Don't worry bro," he tried to reassure him. "I'm sure he's just fine."

"That's not what I am mad about!" he went on stamping his foot on the ground. "I know precisely how hard it is to hurt the human. That is why I was planning on trapping him."

"Trapping him?"

"Yes! Sans! I appreciate your show of initiative, but I don't see what good turning him into a pin cushion will do in this instance. Perhaps if we were still trying to make that blanket for the forest like when we were younger, but I do not think he would volunteer to do something like-"

"Bro?"

To Sans's surprise, he actually cut short. "Yes?"

"I missed you."

Papyrus could not help but smile. "Of course, what would you do without me?"

The skeletons brother's reunion was cut short as Ryan began to rise to his feet. Bones jutted out of his shoulder and his side. He pulled them free and tossed them aside. "As for what to do about him," Sans went on, "I'm not sure yet."

"Simple, we catch him." Papyrus suggested.

Sans spared half a glance for his brother. "Just like old times?"

"Indeed."

"Heh, when you say it, it sounds easy."

"This is Ryan we're talking about. Of course it will be easy!"

Sans looked to Ryan. The wounds caused by the bones were closing as he stood there. "I hope you're right, bro."

"I am. Just follow my lead. Papyrus would never steer you wrong!" Circles of light began to form on the floor, scattered almost randomly around the three of them. Bones sprung up from the circles, rising above their heads, and suddenly Sans found himself somewhere else.

The placement of the bones seemed random at first. There were no neat rows, and the only gap was a path between the skeletons and the human, but Sans saw the pattern. It was like a forest. Sans actually chuckled. "I see you're going for a bone-field advantage," he said, eliciting a groan from his brother, and for a moment he felt back to his old self.

The moment was cut short as Ryan came at them. The two brothers split off, leaving the path to hide in the "trees." Sans circled around behind the human, making sure to leave some things behind him among the bones.

"I wish I could say I was happy to see you Papyrus." Ryan said. "But at the moment you're just being annoying." Sans expected his brother to say something in response, but surprisingly he kept silent. "Your brother and I were in the middle of settling something, and you might not want to be around when we finish that."

Then his brother did speak up. He stepped back out of the trees. Sans's anxiety spiked a moment at that, but he reminded himself that they had a plan again. "That is impossible," he said, "for you see, The Great Papyrus does not abandon his friends."

Sans could not see Ryan's face from his position, but he could tell he was not smiling when he said, "I knew you would say that." The human tensed. "Fine, then I'll just get rid of you first."

The human jumped forward and Sans sprung the first of his traps. Bones shot across the path, growing out of the ones lining it. They formed a block across it, one that was easily rendered into smithereens by Ryan's strength, but it was never really meant to stop him.

Instead of scattering out, the fragments of bone flew towards the human. As they neared, they began gain a purple glow before sinking into his skin.

The effect was almost immediate. Ryan crashed to the ground as he landed, Sans's trap having drained him of his health and energy. It did not have as great of an effect as he hoped, as Ryan was already struggling to his feet as Sans joined his brother, but he would take what he could get.

"This is exactly like the last time Papyrus and I fought," Ryan said as he rose. "I assume that's on purpose?"

Sans almost smirked, the human had them figured out, it seemed.

He remembered the day the two of them had fought. He had been there as well, watching, making sure his hunch had been correct. That day, the promise he had made continuously rung in his mind, filling him with confliction. He was not one to make promises lightly, but when he did, he made sure to keep them. But that time he had to be sure it was a promise worth keeping. If the human had turned out to be a danger to all of them… well, he had hoped then that the lady would find it in her to forgive him.

Now, it felt like he was testing the human again, for the very same reason. And this time he was not so confident he would pass.

"I was patient with you back then," Ryan continued. "I played along with your puzzles and your games. But I'm all out of patience this time. You can thank your brother for stealing the last of it."

The human, it seemed, had recovered faster than Sans anticipated. He was before him in a blink. Sans tried to push him back by tugging on his soul, but it did not work. His brother's magic interfering with his own. He was knocked to the side. His back hit one of the bone trees and he slid to the ground.

The human's eyes connected with Papyrus, and another snap decision was forced upon Sans. He hesitated only a moment before he brought out one of the creatures again. A clawed hand knocked the human back then chased after. It smashed its way through the miniature forest to get to its prey. In moments, all of it was gone, leaving Ryan no place to hide. Sans ordered the creature back and it moved to stand between him and his brother as Ryan took up stance.

Papyrus looked up at the creature in shock. "Sans…" he said softly. The squat skeleton could see the confusion and betrayal on his face. He would live to regret the decision of revealing his helpers, a part of him had always known that day would come, but there had been no way to avoid it. It had been that or watch his brother die.

Undyne finished pulling herself free from the wall and joined them, saving Sans from having to explain himself for another moment. She looked up at the creature as well. If it minded the scrutiny, it did not show it; its eyes stayed locked on Ryan, waiting for him to make a move. "Well, this could be useful," the warrior commented.

"Don't ask," Sans told her.

"Wasn't planning to." She stepped past the creature and up to Ryan who had yet to try anything after he got back to his feet. "So, what's the deal?" she asked him. "Asgore prove too much for you after all? Or did you lose your nerve before you even tried?"

Ryan gave a wry chuckle. "You have no idea what happened," he told her.

"Doesn't matter what happened," she stated, stepping up to him. "It's no excuse for acting the way you are. Don't worry though. I came to beat some sense into you. That is, after all, my job."

Ryan swung at Undyne. The guardswoman caught his fist, the force of the exchange actually made Sans feel a slight breeze. He found his mind picturing what it would have been like if he had been forced to block one of those strikes. Enhancement magic really was not something the uninitiated should mess with. "You never were all that good at hand-to-hand," Undyne remarked.

"I'm beginning to think your head looked better separated from your shoulders." Ryan said back.

It made her eyebrow rise. "Oh? Your trash talk got a little better since you left at least."

"Do you really think cutting me off from magic is going to stop me?" Ryan asked, changing the subject.

"No, and frankly I'd rather fight you at your full strength, but apparently that would 'get me killed' so I had to compromise, which means, on top of everything else, you owe me one." Undyne brought her head forward, smashing it against Ryan's. He staggered back, but the warrior pulled him back by the fist she still held and slammed her own into his gut. The blow barely seemed to wind him as Ryan spun, breaking free from the monster and attempting to kick her in the side of the head. She leaned back to dodge and then landed another punch before he could come back around again, knocking him out of reach.

"There is a certain appeal to fighting with the advantage though." Undyne said. Then suddenly the monster turned into six. They each held themselves with the exact same fierce confidence as the original as they began to surround Ryan. "I can see why you like it so much."

The monsters began their assault, moving in pairs to distract while a single one hung back to wait for an opening. Ryan dodged spears as they came at him, and then ran to get inside of their reach to land a counter. One by one, each of the clones faded into nothing until only one remained. Ryan caught the spear as it was thrust at him and shoved it back at its owner. But that Undyne fell away as well.

Ryan brought his guard up. He searched warily until a hail of spears rained down on him from above. He was able to jump out of the way in time, but the real Undyne was waiting for him. She grabbed him by the head and shoved him into the nearby pillar, right next to where Undyne had hit a few moments ago. The skeleton brothers remained standing to the side, both impressed with how easy she made it look. Dusting off her hands, Undyne said, "Unfortunately for me, doing stuff like that requires some help."

"I didn't miss anything, did I?" Ayame said as she popped into existence. Sans turned to see her sitting on the windowsill closest to them. She looked up at the towering creature that still stood between the skeletons and the others. "Apparently…" she added with a whistle.

"You didn't miss much." Undyne told her, brushing more dust off of her armor.

"Good," the Astigmatism said with a smirk. "I still owe him a smack or two for scaring Ruby."

"And here we were worried," Whimsalot said as he zipped up behind Sans. "After you two went running ahead, we were certain we were gonna miss all of the action." Sans turned to the monster. Behind him were the others. Froggit, Doctor Alphys, even Snowy and MK. "Then again," Whimsalot added, "this _is_ Ryan we're talking about here. Of course he wouldn't go down so easily, regardless of the state he's in."

The two guardsmen nodded to each other and went to join their captain. The two children stood just inside the doorway, looking at Ryan in dismay. Doctor Alphys had made it little farther, having stopped dead after just a few steps. Sans could see her shaking even from halfway into the hall. But her fear was not for what was happening. No, her eyes were locked on the creature Sans had summoned, and he felt a pang of guilt stab at him.

It was MK that said the question he saw hanging on her lips though. "Yo! What is that?" he shouted before running into the room. Snowy tried to stop him, but ended up following after. Alphys jumped as she realized she was suddenly standing by herself and hesitantly went to join them. She seemed to shrink into herself more and more as she got closer.

Then it was as if what was going on around them did not exist. Papyrus turned to address MK. "It's rude to just ask people things like that out of the blue," he told him.

MK tilted his head to the side. "It is?"

"Certainly."

This went on with Papyrus trying to lecture and MK refusing to acknowledge anything the skeleton said. Snowy eventually went over to mediate, but it seemed to not help all that much.

Doctor Alphys crept up next to Sans, looking like she was very strongly considering bolting in the other direction. She tried to play it off, giving him an awkward smile. Every now and then she glanced up at the creature. She made sure the skeleton was between her and it.

"I was w-worried this would hap-p-pen," the doctor said more to herself than to anyone else, her fear made even more obvious by her stutter. "I told him it was t-too soon."

Sans felt like he should do something to help calm her down, but too many questions burned in his mind. "What are all of you doing here?" he grilled instead. "What do you mean it was 'too soon'?"

Alphys glanced at Ryan instead of answering. The human had pulled himself free of the wall and the fight had resumed. A green, double ended spear danced through the air, seemingly unaided while a thick sludge tried to glue his feet to the floor. Undyne traded in and out with Whimsalot to keep Ryan on the defensive.

"Don't worry, Alphys," Ayame said as she hopped off of the windowsill. "Get him up to speed. We got this covered." With that, she joined the fray.

Alphys turned back to Sans. "How did y-you get here before everyone else?" she asked him.

"I was in the neighborhood," he told her. "People watching. Why are you here?" he asked again.

Alphys took a moment to gather her thoughts, pushing her glasses up her nose. Her continued shaking made them immediately fall back down again. She ignored it. "I was m-monitoring magical activity around the castle for this very reason. For the past m-month, Ryan has been helping me continue my research into the nature of s-souls. He told me it was b-because he needed it to do something. I assumed that meant he was going to try and take the power of the other s-six souls for himself. I wasn't sure if it would even w-work, but after everything, I was willing to help him try." Then her panic seemed to rise even farther. "I told him the risks, told him he had to wait, but there was nothing I could do to stop him."

Alphys looked more than halfway to frantic at that point. She could not take her eyes off of the fighting. Sans finally put a hand on her shoulder to try to calm her down. "Slow down, Doc. What were you doing? What do you mean 'take the souls for himself'?"

Alphys swallowed and went on. "Part of my experiments involved isolating and extracting p-parts of the soul. Secondary parts; pieces that wouldn't necessarily cause any permanent damage to it. Ryan theorized it could be used to take out something more, something that would make his soul different from other humans'. What other reason could he have to do that than to take the other six?"

Sans let go of the other monster as his shock began to build. He was not used to new information doing that to him, and he was getting sick of it. But that was an avenue he had not even considered. Could Ryan have really tried…?

"I should have known better," the doctor went on. "It was too risky. I should spent more time make sure he was secure."

"Hold on, is that why you think he's like this?" Sans asked, drawing the doctor back to him again.

She nodded a bit fervently. "What we took from him… we knew that if anything happened too quickly afterward it would break him. He said he would listen and wait and I believed him, but after the procedure he just said there was no point in waiting and left. I didn't have anything ready to stop him."

"It's okay," Sans told her. "Whatever happened isn't your fault."

Alphys acknowledged his words with a nod, but he could tell she did not believe him.

Sans turned back to the fight as he tried to wrap his head around this new information. It was another piece to the puzzle, if nothing else. He was not sure yet if it changed anything, but it might at least explain a little of why Ryan was still like this. It also kept him from having to explain what else had happened, but that also meant accepting their help, and they had no idea just how far gone Ryan really was.

"How bad is he?" Snowy asked, looking up at him. The monster had broken away from MK and Papyrus, their argument having fizzled out as both parties realized they would get nowhere with the other.

Sans considered the question himself, and found himself wondering at the answer from a different angle then he expected Snowy had implied. How far gone had Ryan been before any of this if he had considered changing his soul in order to take the others? Was such a thing really possible like Alphys said? There was precious little they knew about souls, and much of the info seemed to contradict itself. And was that really what he had been trying to do, or was it something else? If it was, then he might have been more wrong about than human than he thought. But could it be that there was some other angle they were not considering? No, there was always another angle, Sans simply did not have the first clue as to what it could be.

He watched Ryan thinking, not for the first time, that he seemed like a completely different person than the one he remembered meeting a year ago.

Sans then remembered Snowy's question. The monster regarded him patiently. MK now stood at his side as well. For a moment he thought about lying, but there was no use in trying to shield them from reality at that point. "Bad," he told the young monsters.

Snowy looked at MK and the two nodded at each other. "We should help." MK said before the two started to run off. A wall of bone cut them short.

"Absolutely not," Papyrus told them. "This is far too dangerous." _So then he does comprehend at least some of what was going on_ , Sans thought.

"But it's Ryan!" Snowy protested.

"That is definitely not Ryan," Sans spoke up. "Whatever happen to him, he's lost himself to the point where it doesn't matter if you're a friend or not. He'll kill you if you're in his way." Perhaps that was a bit too blunt. Maybe he really was losing his touch.

"That's why we're here!" MK argued. "We have to wake him up."

Sans looked to the fighting. "I don't know if that's possible at this point," he said somberly.

"Of course it is!" MK said, but even he did not sound like he fully believed it as he saw what was happening for himself.

Despite his limitation, Ryan was winning. Papyrus's spell couldn't prevent him from using magic on himself, as they had found out the first time they fought, and unfortunately that was what he was best at. Nothing seemed to tire him out in the slightest while the fatigue was already beginning to take its toll on the rest.

Ayame's illusions were losing their effect. Ryan had adjusted his formula and stayed on the defensive, relying on his reaction time and senses to respond to anything that came at him, and even Ayame's speed was not enough to stay ahead of it. It barely kept her from getting taken out herself. Once it was clear he was not pulling any punches, she switched it up herself, aiding the others with her illusions to try to throw him off.

Whimsalot and Froggit worked in tandem. Their bait and switch tactics, aided by Ayame's feints, allowed them to land the most blows out of anyone, and their range kept them out of the most harm. But it was not doing nearly enough to the human.

Undyne was taking the bulk of damage by holding the majority of Ryan's attention. They all knew she could take some punishment, but it was beginning to show. She favored her left leg, and pieces of her armor were dented where they were not simply gone altogether.

This wasn't working, Sans knew, and they needed to think of something else, fast.

Suddenly Ryan turned his attention away from Undyne. Sans saw why, Ayame had strayed a little too close, and she was wide open. Sans reacted quickly. Another of his helpers materialized next to them. It started to charge its beam, but Sans sent it a command to stop; that was too risky here. Instead the creature flew in with tooth and claw and Ayame was able to get clear.

"Please tell me your plan wasn't to just wear him out," Sans said to Alphys who looked ready to simply vanish now that two of the creatures were in the hall, "because he doesn't get worn out."

"T-the plan was to talk to him," the doctor stammered. "If my hypothesis is correct, he's become hopeless, distraught, right?" Sans was about to question how she knew that, but then just nodded. It was true enough, even if she had the reason wrong. "Then we need to show him that he's wrong. Remind him that his goals are still achievable and why he was fighting for them."

_That may be more difficult than you hoped, Doc_. Sans thought to himself. "Do any of us really know what his goal is?" he asked instead.

Before she or anyone else could answer, fire suddenly erupted from the center of the fight, followed by Papyrus stumbling back. Sans caught his brother as the group fighting was knocked outward. They all flew back and hit the ground. Undyne landed near him, the others were cast farther away. Sans felt one of his helper's thoughts wink out. The one still standing before him leaned down and let out a mechanical growl. He looked past it to see Ryan standing where he had been, swords in hand and a red mist pouring off of his body. Electricity arced off of him as he stood silently waiting for someone to dare come at him again. The light of his soul was red once more.

"What the…?" Sans breathed.

"Damn it," Undyne said as she struggled to her feet next to him. "I was afraid this would happen. I was sort of hopping we could end this before it did."

"Before what happened? How did he break out of Pap's spell?"

"It's part of his power," she told him as she ripped a piece of her armor off of her shoulder that was too damaged to allow her to move fully. "He can adapt to anything, at least anything I thought to throw at him, provided it doesn't kill him right away. But even that it seems he can come back from. And apparently that power works on magic being used on him as well."

"Which means we just lost our biggest advantage," Sans concluded. "And he's virtually unstoppable anyway."

"Yup," the warrior confirmed.

The others were beginning to get to their feet now as well. Ryan looked between all of them. "How fitting that all of you are here," he spoke up. "Saves me the trouble of having to hunt you down."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Undyne challenged.

The human's gaze fell solely on Undyne. Sans involuntarily flinched just being near her. The other monster remained steady though. "Well," he explained, "if I killed you one at a time, you'd have a chance to hide, and that would just make things take longer."

Undyne gave a mirthless chuckle. "So you're really that far gone, huh?"

Ryan's blank face split into a grin. "You don't know the half of it."

"And I don't really care to. I already know more than enough to know you've been acting like a moron. I've never known you to be one to let the pressure get to you. Sure, you'll bitch and moan to Hotland and back, but you never gave up, not really. You're a lot like me, I guess. Challenge just makes you fight harder. So as far as I'm concerned, you have no reason to throw in the towel now."

Ryan let his swords fall away as he spread out his arms. The red mist surrounding him faded as well. "Oh but Undyne, I haven't given up. I've simply realized I was going after the wrong goal. Saving monsters? It's just a waste of effort. You're all doomed to die anyway. Whether it's down here or on the surface, it makes no difference."

"What happened to helping us fend for ourselves?"

"I was lying!" he raged. "Did you really not see that? I never intended to destroy the barrier, but I needed all of you on my side to help what I really intended to do go a lot smoother, so I spun my goal a little differently. Without your help I would have never made it this far, and for that you have my thanks, but you've outlived your usefulness."

"So you really were going to give yourself up then," Ayame said from the side. "Sallie really wasn't lying."

Ryan's face softened for a moment. "Perhaps at one point I was willing to do that," he said quietly. "But not for you. Never for you."

"I refuse to believe you mean any of that." Undyne challenged.

The human's face became a blank mask once again. "Believe what you want, it changes nothing."

"The Ryan I know wouldn't turn his back on his friends so easily."

"The Ryan you knew is dead. I am what rose from those ashes."

"And now you're going to kill us? Because you couldn't get what you wanted? That's a bit selfish, don't you think?"

Ryan shook his head. "Believe me, it's the best end you could hope for. I'm doing you a favor."

"And do you really think you're capable of doing that?"

"I've already done it once, possibly more. Doing it again will be easy."

Undyne's grin became dangerous again. "I have no idea what that's supposed to mean, but it pisses me off!" The soldier ran at the human. Ryan raised his hand and a gust of air exploded from it. Instead of knocking the monster back, she simply vanished. Ryan blinked in surprise and Sans saw her pop back into existence behind him.

But the trick did not work. Lightning ripped up from the ground and shot through the monster. Her body went rigid as Ryan took his time turning to face her. "All of our sparing must have made you think we were evenly matched. Well let me assure you, I can kill you very easily."

Sans didn't even see the sword in Ryan's hand until its point was sticking through Undyne's back. The monster let out a gasp that turned into a groan as he pulled it free. Everyone in the room shouted, but no one could move. Undyne fell to her knees and Ryan took a few steps back. He raised his hand and fire came to it. "Thank you, Undyne," he said as the flame built. "I could have never made it this far without your help, but it wasn't enough. Some things are just unreachable."

The flames descended on Undyne, some of the others turned away, but Sans could not bring himself to. He watched as the inferno consumed the warrior, light threatening to blind him. For a moment, he thought he saw a shadow moving in them, and then suddenly the fire was gone.

A new figure stood before Ryan, practically towering over him. His golden armor shone in the dying light of the flames, and as they flickered out, he brought his weapon down on the human. Ryan jumped back to avoid the blow and fire chased after him that time. It was turned away before it could reach him, scorching the floor around his retreating form. He slid to a halt and looked up at the new arrival.

"So it seems I was wrong about you after all." The figure said in a deep booming voice. "I should have expected nothing less from a human."

Sans found that they were all staring in disbelief. He blinked wondering if it was true or another of Ayame's illusions. Finally, Alphys said what they were all thinking, "King Asgore!"

She said the name almost reverently, as if his presence truly was a miracle. Sans nearly felt the same way. He felt hope surge within him at the boss monster's presence.

"Everyone," The king said, sparing a moment to take them all in. If he was at all surprised by the makeup of the group, it did not show. "Go. I will handle this."

No one made any move to leave.

"Go!" he shouted. Still, no one moved.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, I can't follow that order." Sans was surprised by Undyne's voice. Somehow she was still conscious after being run through. She struggled to her feet as she spoke. "This is personal."

Asgore turned to regard Undyne. "You are in no condition fight," he said as he held out his hand over her wound. A golden glow enveloped it.

Ryan decided to take advantage of the moment. The third of Sans's creatures materialized between him and the king and he stopped short. He smirked, and Sans had no doubts that had only worked because he was letting him hold him back for some reason.

Asgore pulled his hand away from his captain. The wound had healed, but it had left a nasty scar. "I never was the best at that. You'll have to forgive me." He said.

"Don't worry about," Undyne said with a kind smile. That smile vanished behind her fury as she regarded Ryan from the other side of the creature. "Now, where were we?"

The king's hand stopped her again. "I am serious Undyne. This is far too dangerous."

"Your Majesty, we're not leaving!" MK spoke up. The lizard was now standing at Asgore's feet. Sans had not even seen the young monster leave his side. Any other time he would have been impressed.

"He's our friend." Whimsalot added as he flew over to them as well, Froggit nodded beneath him. The rest joined them quickly. Sans creatures continued to separate them from the human, but Sans still wondered why.

The king regarded them each in turn. "So you are the ones he was talking about… I admire all of you bravery, but you do not know what he is capable of."

"Actually, we're quite aware," Sans told him.

"Which is why we're staying," Undyne added, now slightly more steady on her feet.

"This is hardly the time for a conversation, wouldn't you say?" The voice made them all turn. Ryan was suddenly standing in the center of them. Sans reacted the fastest. He knew what was coming next. He jumped to the side, bringing out a number of bones to push everyone out of the way as well. A moment later, the creature that had been watching him charged in. Its companion joined the fray right after, and the three went down in a tangle of ferocious attacks.

"That won't keep him for long," Sans told everyone as they reconvened.

The king regarded the creatures like he was deciding whether or not to make a comment. Ultimately, he seemed to decide against it. "What is going on?" he asked instead. Sans supposed the moment he would try to convince them to leave had passed.

"Short version," Undyne began, switching into Guardsmen mode. "We have a human in the Underground." He smirked a bit at that. "Tried to kill him, ended up warming up to him instead. Told us he wanted to help monsters, so I trained him. Made a bad judgment call, then he ran off to help Alphys with her science, the result of which made him lose his marbles a bit. According to her though, there's a chance we still can get him back from the homicidal maniac that is currently walking around in his skin by talking to him, so that's what we've been trying to do, albeit unsuccessfully, so far."

Asgore chuckled. "Terse. I missed that about you Undyne." Then he was serious once more. "Fine, I will follow your course of action." He turned to face Ryan, who was making quick work of his opponents. "I have fought him once already. This hardly seems like the same person." Undyne stepped up next to him. "This will be exceedingly difficult. I could barely fend him off before."

"Don't care." She told him.

He nodded, the answer clearly expected. "Then might I suggest holding off trying to talk to him? Figuring out a way to stop him first may be more to our benefit, though I do not have the first idea how we could."

"Alphys?" Undyne said, looking over her shoulder "I know your wheels must have been spinning since before we met up. Any suggestions?"

Sans looked to the doctor. She seemed to be in he own world. Her nerves must have finally gotten to her. She still shook uncontrollably and did not seem to hear the other monster speak.

"Alphys!" Undyne shouted again. The doctor snapped out of her daze. The warrior gave her a reassuring look. "It's going to be okay," she told her. To Sans's surprise, the words made her calm down dramatically. Her shaking practically stopped as she nodded back to the other monster. "Now, how do we stop him?" She asked again.

Alphys took another moment to think before speaking up. "We need to find a way to cut him off entirely," she began, "not just from magic, but from his power as well, or at least from his ability to use it against us."

"Obviously," Undyne stated. "How?"

"The amount of energy he outputs is insane," she thought out loud. "Any conventional restraints won't do any good."

"Are you suggesting we cuff him?" Whimsalot joked, earning him a smack from Ayame.

Alphys shook her head like she took the suggestion seriously. "We need something that can deal with that energy output. But nothing short of the core could…" She trailed off as her eyes went wide. "The training room!"

Undyne seemed to catch on to something the rest of them missed. "That's a bit far away, don't you think?" she commented.

"Nonono, not the actual training room. Something similar. I know it took me a while to make it the first time around, but that was just because I had no idea how I could do it at first. Replicating it should be easy enough. I could do it here, I'd just need…" She trailed off again, looking around. She stopped as her eyes fell on Sans's pocket. "What is that?" she asked.

Sans pulled Ryan's phone and showed it to her. She snatched it out of his hand. "Yes!" She shouted before turning to Undyne and the king. "I think I can do this. I just need a few minutes."

Undyne nodded then began to give out orders. "Alright folks, it seems our job is to be a distraction. Whims, Froggit, focus on split attacks. Try to keep his attention on as many things at once." The two monsters nodded in acknowledgment. "Paps, you're being promoted. Welcome to the Guard. Unfortunately ceremony will have to wait. I need you funnel him, cut off his angles and don't let him take one step closer to this side of the room if you can help it, okay?" Papyrus was beaming. Sans feared that she had lost him after she had told him he was finally a part of the guard, but he seemed to understand. "Ayame, I want you, MK and Snowy guarding Alphys while she works her magic." She added in a slightly lower voice to Ayame alone, "And keep the kids safe as well."

"Roger-dodger." Ayame said with a salute.

Undyne turned back to see Asgore looking down at her, a bemused expression on his face. She suddenly looked embarrassed. "Sorry Your Majesty. Didn't mean to steal your thunder."

The king shook his head. "Please, go on," he told her. "I'm a bit out of practice myself."

Undyne gave a nod. "Sans," she said, turning to him. "How much are you willing to tell me about those things?"

She did not need to say more for him to know what she was talking about. "That I'd like to use them as little as possible," he told her frankly.

"Then I'll trust you have a good reason for that, because they would be damn useful. But if that's the case, your job is to pick up the slack, fill in any gaps, and keep everyone else alive, alright?"

His answer was cut short by his brother placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry Sans. We can do this. I know Ryan is still there, and he would never hurt us."

Sans let out a breath, cutting off what he was going to say. "You're right," he told them instead.

Undyne turned back to Asgore again. "I think you know what our job is." Asgore nodded, and Undyne smirked. "Never thought I'd get the chance to actually fight at your side, at least not down here. The rest of the guard is gonna be pissed when they hear about this."

"I wouldn't exactly say it was something I hoped would happen," the King commented.

"Nonsense. You're acting like this is a bad thing. Sure, our lives are probably in danger, but what of it?"

The king chuckled once more. "I really did miss you, Undyne."

Undyne looked embarrassed again. "Well then, you shouldn't have locked yourself up."

"I suppose not," Asgore said somberly, "but the reunion will have to wait."

Sans fought a flinch as the last of his helpers was obliterated out of existence. Ryan turned to the group as he tossed away one of the creatures' eyes and gave them each a sad smile. "Good," he said. "I was worried you would actually run off this time."

"You all know the plan." Undyne said barely above a whisper. "Go!"

 

The group broke off. Undyne and Asgore charged in, and almost immediately the hall echoed with the sounds of weapons clashing. Whimsalot wasn't sure about the rest of them. He flew ahead, circling around the side of the fight, weaving in and out of the columns. Froggit joined him a moment later. Whimsalot turned to look at his friend as the two chose a spot to wait for their moment. "You been building up?" he asked.

The frog monster nodded. "Since Alphys first explained everything to us. Enough to flood half the room, ribbit."

Whimsalot grinned and slapped the amphibious monster on the shoulder. "That's what I like to hear! I have a feeling we're gonna need it."

The light coming in from outside was just strong enough now that Whimsalot could check the reflection in glass to see if they had been noticed without anyone further away being able to see them in turn. Ryan's attention still seemed all on Undyne and the king. "This is going to require all of us to be very clever, ribbit." Froggit said suddenly.

"Yeah well, luckily that's our strong suit." Whimsalot assured his friend.

"But will it be enough, ribbit?"

Whimsalot risked a brief look around the column. The movements of the trio in the center were so fast he could barely make one of them out from the other two. A moment of doubt washed over him, one he quickly shoved to the back of his mind. There was no point in worrying now. "If it isn't," he told Froggit, "then there's always Plan B."

"I hardly think the rest would appreciate it if we ran away this time, ribbit."

"No! Not that Plan B. How was it that Ryan put it when he was talking about all that paintball crap? That the greatest achievements always came from conspicuous acts of the bold and stupid."

Finally it seemed to dawn on Froggit. "Oh, _that_ Plan B, ribbit." His eyes narrowed. "You know that was just a fluke in training, right? I have yet to be able to repeat it, ribbit."

"True, but think how happy with you Undyne will be if you can pull it off here."

"The last time I did it, Karim hung us from the roof over the courtyard by our feet, ribbit!"

"Eh, this is different. I'm sure the captain would love to go for a swim." Whimsalot poked his head out one more time to see a wall of flames coming their way. He dived back behind the pillar with a yelp just as they shot past him.

As they faded, Whimsalot was surprised to find that he was not cooked. He looked at his arms to see steam rising off of a thin layer of water that covered him. He looked up at Froggit. "Slightly less than half the room now, ribbit."

"Please tell me that wasn't aimed at us." Whimsalot said as he nervously rose back up into the air.

"It wasn't, ribbit. I believe that was the king, but it's getting hard to tell, even for me, ribbit."

"Then I suppose it's time to switch them out, give them a little breathing room. You ready?"

"No, ribbit."

"Good."

The two monsters jumped out from behind the column. Whimsalot flew up to the ceiling, arching himself backwards in parallel to the hall's curve, before falling into a dive at its center just above the locked combatants.

Froggit hopped onto a wave of water as it rose up from the stone of the floor. He picked up speed and additional liquid as he went, circling around the fighters. He fired balls of water at breakneck speeds at Ryan as he went. He had no fear of hitting the others. If they did they would pass through them harmlessly. He had yet to find anyone better at that trick than he and Whimsalot were.

Each of the balls evaporated into steam before they hit their marks, swirling around wild air currents that surrounded him and his opponents. No counter attack came, so he kept it up and kept moving.

Undyne and the king must have noticed his entrance. They began to pick up their attacks, slashing and stabbing at Ryan faster than anything he had ever seen. But it was hardly making a difference. Swords popped into existence to block anything he could not with the two in his hands. It was like he had six arms or more.

Froggit blinked, shifting his perception. The world became a wash of colors he knew only he could see and that no one had any names for. Undyne and Asgore became translucent to his eyes, while Ryan looked like he had become a sort of puzzle with its parts all interwoven within him. The air around them swirled with color; the currents he had noticed before. Beyond the three everything was calmer. Colors were more regular. He noticed two spots that were completely black above them, no bigger than he was. Everything seemed to warp around them. Another quick shift found Sans staring between those spots and the fight. The frog monster decided to ignore the spots.

He turned his attention back to the fight and saw something odd. The air was acting odd. It seemed to part before Ryan's attacks unnaturally, moving away in anticipation of his sword swing instead of in reaction to it. The air behind also seemed to become thicker, pushing his weapon forward. While this was going on, it seemed to doing the opposite around the attacks of Undyne and the king. He was trying to wear them out, he realized.

Froggit blinked again, and his perspective shifted to an aerial view as Whimsalot fell back to the ground, the water he left on his friend serving as a conduit for his sight. He used the ability to time everything perfectly. Still moving, he brought out a second stream of water. He brought it in close and then spread it out over them enclosing them within. Immediately he felt it threaten to break apart as a wash of heat shot out to it. Regulating temperature was never something he was good at, but he managed to make it hold.

He waited for his moment. The captain and the king alternated their attacks, never giving Ryan an opening to do anything, but they must have noticed that they were now surrounded. Finally they took the hint and broke off. Froggit let some of the water fall, creating a wall between Ryan and the others. Hair thin lines of liquid shot at the human, dissuading him from trying to break through. They moved fast enough that they each hit, but did very little damage. That was fine by him for the moment.

Froggit opened up the back wall, and the two warriors jumped out. He then closed the spell in on his friend, sealing it off. The water moved inwards, squeezing the air trapped inside. He felt a something begin to pop up within. More lines of water shot to the center, shattering Ryan's shield before it could form. He kept squeezing, keeping an eye on Whimsalot's perspective, until he deemed his friend close enough.

He released the spell, the water vanished and the air exploded outward as the pressure was suddenly released. Ryan staggered, the decompression disorienting him. Froggit could not help but smile at the fact that it actually worked. Now their part really began.

"Hey Ryan!" Whimsalot shouted as he made his final descent. Ryan looked up just in time to see a small, twin-headed spear pop into the small monster's hand and a larger one appear about a foot in front of him. Ryan managed to bring up his sword to block the incoming cleave. The air exploded once again with the force of the impact. Froggit could not help but be impressed; Whimsalot really was not holding anything back.

A moment later, the air filled with countless more spears. They flew towards Ryan and shattered into a mist of pale green shards in a semi-circle around the two. Ryan then broke the standoff. Whimsalot spun his spear with the momentum, blocking Ryan's other sword as he counterattacked.

The two traded blows for a moment until Froggit figured Ryan had regained his bearings. Whims must have noticed it too, because he started talking. "You know, I always suspected you were holding back whenever we trained."

"Did you really think you'd stand a chance if I wasn't?"

"Please! We barely held our own with what you _were_ putting out."

"Then what makes you think any of you have a chance now? What are you even trying to prove?"

Whimsalot's and Ryan's weapons collided and they looked each other in the eye. "That monsters aren't as hopeless as you seem to now think," he told the human. "And that neither are you."

Froggit could tell the words worked to make him angry. Ryan jumped back, swords materializing to either side of him. They shot at the monster, but Froggit was ready. Water shot up from the ground between them, catching the swords and stopping their momentum. Electricity began to coil off of Ryan. It shot out, connecting to the swords and continuing on to Whimsalot. A sphere of green spears appeared around him, each of these as small as the one he held. The lighting cascaded off of it harmlessly. Eventually Ryan realized this and cut off the spell.

"Watching you gave me more than one idea when it came to magic." Whimsalot said from inside his defense. He let the sphere expand so that the human could see him within. "One of the advantages of being as small as I am and using the spells that I use is that the weapons I make can be a lot smaller, which means I can make a lot more of them."

The spears surrounding the small monster began to float away from him to gather around the larger copy of his weapon. As Froggit watched, they began to form a hand, and then an arm. "It also lets me do some things you might call… unconventional." Whimsalot flew in along with his spears. Froggit sent some of his water in his direction as well. He filled the arm with it as it continued on to form a shoulder, and then a body. Whimsalot flew inside before the back sealed him off. The spears continued to form the rest of the body, head and legs, and finally the other arm. The whole thing looked like a featureless human; the 'armor' was nearly as tall as Ryan as well. Froggit filled its entirety with water, knowing his friend wound tie his weapons to its surface as everything settled into place. The monster himself floated in the center of the armor's chest. Froggit opened up a channel to allow Whimsalot to see out of its 'eyes'. He turned his head from within to look at his hand and the head of the armor mimicked the motion. The monster flexed his hand to test the connection and the armor did as well. There didn't seem to be any delay. That was good. They had very little practice with this, and it did not always work so well.

"You might have some crazy strength when it comes to magic," Whimsalot told his human friend, "but monsters will always be better at using it."

"We'll see about that" was all Ryan said in response before charging in. The two traded blows. Froggit reinforced the water in the armor's arms with every strike to absorb the impact. He dispersed the energy along the surface, leaving Whimsalot safe at its center. Any strike that got through his friend's blocks were met with thickened water as well, the spears around the spot shattered but were immediately replaced from within.

Ryan's magic was proving ineffective as well. The water kept Whimsalot safe from the heat of his flames. The spears covering its surface kept it safe from his lightning; Froggit was able to withdraw the majority of the water away from the surface before it could hit. The same trick also prevented it from being frozen. Whimsalot merely shed away the frozen chunks of armor and had them replaced before they hit the ground.

His flying swords were practically ignored as well. Froggit was able to move Whimsalot to any point in the armor's body without loss of control. The swords went through the armor harmlessly, and Ryan was having to rely on brute strength to do anything to fend the two of them off.

Ryan was back to using the air to his advantage, but Froggit, unlike the others, was ready for this. He could use the water in Whimsalot's suit to counteract his meddling. He could also use the water that splashes onto Ryan to slow down his own movements. He could use the moisture in the air if he wanted, but Ryan must have caught on to that. The air around him was once again stiflingly hot and completely dry.

It made little difference to Froggit. The monster's reaction time was on par with that of Ryan's own and his reach was infinitely longer. The combatants were driven to a stalemate, which was exactly what they wanted. But it seemed his small friend would not be satisfied with that.

"Do you remember that day in Home, when the council demanded your head in the middle of the city?" Whimsalot said suddenly.

"How could I forget?" Ryan answered, which surprised both of them.

"Back then," the monster went on regardless, "you said that the only thing you wanted was for everyone to be happy. And I knew you meant it. That no matter what anyone ever said to you, you would always put others before yourself. And I'm pretty sure that's still what you're doing, in some messed up way. You're not one to lose hope."

"If you think that, then you don't know me as well as you think you do," Ryan interrupted.

The monster ignored him. "You also told us, more than once, that your plan once this all was over was to help us learn how to stand up to humans."

"That was until I learn it would be a useless effort."

"No," Froggit whispered to himself. "It wasn't, ribbit."

Bone suddenly shot up from the ground in a ring around the combatants. It rose up until it filled nearly two thirds the height of the room. Then, another ring grew outside of it, then another. They began to rotate around the center. Froggit rode a wave of water up to the ceiling while the walls formed. He formed it into a platform for him to stand on and tied it off.

He had come up with the idea at the last minute. Having Papyrus just put a wall between Ryan and the doctor would have been too obvious, so he worked out a way to incorporate the skeleton's skills into their own attack. He had explained what he had wanted before they had all split up, but what the monster produced was far beyond his expectations.

He looked down at the circles. The largest nearly filled the width of the hall; the inner circle was large enough for the two figures standing in the center to have plenty of wiggle room. Froggit shot down small globs of water from his watch post at the spinning rings. He blinked as he felt them settle and checked his new angles of view. He was just in time for the next step in the action.

Platforms began to form in the center ring. They flew across it at all angles. One vertical square made Ryan jump to avoid it. As he came down he landed on another that was rising up to the ceiling. Froggit switched to Whimsalot's view. The room was quickly filling with the platforms, enough that it would soon overwhelm him as well if he had to help Whimsalot dodge them all like Ryan would need to, but that would countermand the advantage they were trying yo gain. Luckily, Whimsalot was used to flying.

Froggit sent water streaming out of the back of the armor. The spots became thin and wide, forming larger copies of Whimsalot's wings, and his friend took them over almost immediately. He shot into the air, spinning and twirling to dodge the platforms like a mad man. He was cutting it close enough that Froggit had to bend the fake body around a few.

He flew up to Ryan, who was trying to find a spot to land for more than a second, but he would get no reprieve. Whimsalot struck while he was off balance knocking Ryan off of the platform he had landed on, but as usual he compensated quickly. He spun and kicked off of a square going the other direction, bouncing his way back up to the monster. Then their battle resumed.

"We never could figure out why you left Home," Whimsalot started saying. "It was why we followed you; we were worried we had done something to piss you off.

"At first we thought you were dead, until the day Undyne showed up and told us you'd been in Snowdin the whole time.

"After we came back together, I still didn't understand what you were doing or why you left, but I realized it didn't matter. I could see it in your eyes, this look that said you knew exactly what you were doing, like you almost knew what was gonna come next. I had made the decision to follow you until the end, to see whatever it was you were doing through, because I knew it would lead to an adventure greater than anything we had done so far, and so far I've been right." He paused for a moment, then added, "I guess a part of me also hoped that if we stayed by you side that you'd remember what you left and come back one day.

"Not only that, but Froggit and I, we made a promise to the others, to keep you safe. I thought that ridiculous at the time. You're a human, surely you could take care of yourself, and I was about to say as much, but Froggit went and agreed before I could, like he always does. I didn't really get what they all meant by it until later.

"Humans are strange. They have a lot of doubt in them. We weren't meant to keep you safe from anything out here. We were supposed to help save you from yourself, if it was needed."

Ryan knocked back Whimsalot. The monster and his suit of armor steadied itself a short distance away. "Touching," Ryan said, "but pointless."

"Come on Ryan. Talk to us. Whatever you think you've lost, you haven't."

"It's not about what I lost," he told them, "it's about what I never had."

"And what's that?"

"A chance."

Froggit watched Whimsalot's mouth draw into a line within the armor. Froggit shared the sentiment. "Well that sucks" the monster said, "because we're here to give you a second one."

"You have a strange way of showing it."

"Well, we _were_ all trained by Undyne. So we all should know that the best way to express any emotion is with a swift punch to someone's face."

"You have yet to get close enough to try."

"Betting I can't?"

To both their surprise, he smiled. "Sure, why not?"

Whimsalot returned the grin with one of his own. "Done."

The inner circle of bone suddenly fell, and out of its shadow jumped Undyne and the king. They fell in from above off of more platforms waiting in the outer rings, resuming the melee that had been interrupted before. Froggit saw a quick blur of attacks before the three split off, jumping to separate platforms. "I think I'll take a bit of that bet as well." Undyne told him.

Ryan looked at each of them. "So you need four monsters and a boss monster to even feel like you have a chance?" he commented. "And you still think you'd stand a chance on the surface?"

"I like to think you're a special case." Whims shot back at him.

"I can assure you, I am not."

"Then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, like always. For now though, we just gotta deal with you."

"And that's the furthest you'll ever get."

Whimsalot, in his current state, may have been immune to most of Ryan's magic, but with Undyne and the king back in the mix magic was back on the table, including all of the ways that were only visible to him. It was getting tiring trying to keep up with it all. Luckily he knew he could trust them to be able to fend for themselves. It wasn't helping that those bone platforms were acting weird. It was like they ignored each other's existence, passing right through each other while interacting with everything else. It made trying to stick reserves of water on them quite difficult.

The group made due regardless. They attacked in waves, two going in close while one hung back to take the advantage of distance then switching before Ryan could catch on to any of the patterns that developed from the duo. It was proving affective. Ryan seemed to be on the defensive, and Froggit could tell that Whimsalot was enjoying being able to fight with the king.

Froggit also noticed that in addition to each other, the bone platforms began to ignore the other fighters as well, making them no longer need to worry about dodging them as well. The only one who it did not work for was Ryan, as he found out when one almost knocked him away and crushed him down onto another.

Froggit was beginning to feel like they were winning. He hardly had to respond to anything anymore; the others were handling things fine without him. He set up a few things that may be of use later, and turned his full attention back to the action.

Whimsalot's view came to him as easily as seeing through his own eyes. He was circling the battle. Fire swirled around the bone cylinder, following the group of fighters as they jumped about it. His friend must have picked his time to cut in, because he suddenly dove directly into the center. Froggit caught a brief flash of the king deflecting one of Ryan's strikes, the force and the sound enough to cause Whimsalot's armor to quiver, before he swung his spear at the back of Ryan's head. The human ducked and the king jumped away.

Ryan brought his sword up at the armored monster. Whimsalot kicked off of it as it came up, flipping and diving back in. Ryan blocked the blow and one from Undyne simultaneously. Froggit took the moment to get a good look at Ryan for the first time. He looked… older. He had yet to be able to pin down how that worked for humans, just that it was definitely different than it was for monsters. Or perhaps he was simply more worn. The way Ryan fought also added to the feeling. There was no tension to his movements; the practiced ease with which he fought was still the same, even after whatever had happened, but it seemed to be greater now. The only thing that had really changed was his eyes. They blazed a deep red, like how he and the others thought they had seen in the city, but he could see more than that in them. Pain, defeat. But there was something else beneath it all. It took a moment for the monster to recognize it: determination.

Alphys had not been kidding, whatever he now thought, he believed it. He also did not look the least bit tired, like this was all merely a warm-up for him and the fight had yet to really begin.

Like he was toying with them.

That realization came a moment too late. Ryan let one of his swords drop, the one blocking Undyne. He threw away Whimsalot's spear and spun to send a roundhouse kick straight to their captain's mid. She rocketed away from them as Ryan turned his attention on his friend. Whimsalot tried to get away, but the air suddenly became stone around him. He was forced to look at Ryan as he spoke. "I was hoping that fighting would show you how useless this was," he said, "but I forgot how tenacious you could all be."

"Really?" Whimsalot said back in a snide tone. Froggit saw where this was going and thought that this was not the best time to be a jokester. He was tempted to stop his friend, but let him go on. "You weren't gone that long. How'd you forget so fast? We were taught by the best, after all."

"It was much longer for me. Long enough that I no longer understand why any of you are even bothering."

"What do you mean why? What else are we gonna do if not stand up for our friends, for what's right?"

"Right?" Ryan chuckled to himself. "I am so sick of this game."

Fire shot out from Ryan, flying straight for Whimsalot, enough that not even the water within would save him from getting cooked. All of the sudden, Froggit felt helpless. He tried to move his friend away from the flame, but the armor would not budge in the slightest. His friend was trapped and there was nothing he could do.

He did not look away, though, he would not let himself. And he was glad he did not, because at the last moment a figure jumped in front of him again. Once more it was the king. The fire seemed to simply fall away around him. A hand touched the armor's shoulder and it was free again. Then the king turned back to Ryan, who now looked furious.

"Why are you fighting?" he roared. "What are you really trying to prove?"

"That it's not hopeless!" Undyne yelled back at him as she got to her feet. "That we're not hopeless, and that you're not either! Look at what you're able to do. You're practically invincible, you're strong enough that you could probably do anything, and yet you're acting like there's no point to even trying anymore!"

"Because there isn't, Undyne. I've seen it for myself. All the power in the world doesn't matter. None of it will get me what I want."

"Tough," the warrior told him. "No one can have _everything_ they want, and you're still no exception. When normal people realize that, they pick a new goal to focus on. The world's not gonna wait up for you to get over yourself, and it's not going to go away just because you want it to."

"That's where you're wrong Undyne. Whether by my hand or another, this world is finished. My hand is simply the more merciful."

Ryan was cut off by the king himself. He charged at the human, who blocked almost as an afterthought. "I know the misery with which you speak well, human, but I have also lived long enough to know that there is always something more over the horizon. Sometimes it is simply a matter of waiting, others you must seize it for yourself. But there is never a reason for giving up."

"You're one to talk," Ryan said, turning away the king. "Weren't you the one wallowing in your castle for years?"

"Sometimes we forget the lessons we've learned, but you've helped me remember them, and now your friends are trying to help you do the same."

King struck again, but there was now no mystery to who had the advantage.

"We are doomed to a never ending cycle of misery and pain," Ryan went on. "You have already lived through it countless times that you cannot even remember."

"Everything ends." The king told him. "That was another lesson I had to learn."

"Oh, will you all shut up!" Ryan forced the king back with enough force to knock him off his feet. He flew back into Whimsalot, knocking him back as well. Froggit readjusted his view to see Ryan walking up to them. Red mist surrounded him once more. Undyne jumped in from the side, but Ryan knocked her back without even looking at her. "How much psychological bull are you going to spew? Nothing you say will change my mind. This ends now."

Jets of air suddenly shot out in all directions. The bone platforms and walls began to shatter around him. The entire arena was quickly sliced to pieces. What remained faded away into nothing.

Ryan turned to Undyne as she got to her feet again. "None of you have seen what I've seen. The agony, the corruption. None of us deserve to live in this world, we will only continue to destroy it though our actions." He said. "Perhaps if you see it, you'll understand. Why don't we start with you?"

Froggit caught Undyne look to the others further back for a split second. Ryan must have as well, for he stopped in his tracks. Slowly, he traced Undyne's momentary glance. When he turned back, he was grinning. "So that's what you've really been doing." Froggit felt the world go cold.

The king was there in less time than it took to blink, fighting desperately. Whimsalot got to his "feet" and turned to Froggit above, a motion that was highly unnecessary. "Froggit, now!" he yelled, and the monster immediately understood.

Plan B.

He reached out as far as he could. He had been pulling water with him since they had reached the castle, hiding it in the micro-cracks in the ground and finally the stone of the castle itself. Making water himself was not something he was good at, but controlling water that was already there was something he could do very well, and he made sure to build up quite the reserve. He took over all of it then, a task that was proving difficult by the sheer volume, and forced it up all at once. This trick had only worked for him once before, but he was hoping this would be the second.

The ground began to shake around Ryan and the king. Their fighting slowed, and they looked down to see water beginning to pool at their feet. The puddle suddenly became a torrent. It shot up into the air, scattering chunks of stone that broke apart from the pressure. Froggit redirected a small amount of his attention to push the king away. Ryan tried to shield himself from the water, but it fell away before it could fully form. Undyne was looking up at the geyser. She must have heard of his little trick from rumors spread by the Guard and knew what was coming, for she yelled out "Pap, wall!"

The skeleton seemed to catch on as well. A wall of bone, thicker than the columns that lined the hall, rose up to split the room in two. Froggit continued to fill up the space with every iota of water he could find and it was quickly rising to his spot near the ceiling. Whimsalot flew up to avoid the rising tide. The spears making up his armor fell away and the water within fell to join the rest. "Looks like it's your turn." His friend said to him.

Froggit nodded and dove from his perch. He felt more at ease the moment he hit the water. Part of the reason was because it was his element, another part was the sign that his trick had somehow worked. The first time he had used it was on accident. Near the beginning of his training, he had been reluctant to do any actual fighting. In a sparring match with one of the other monsters, he remembered that all he had wanted to do was swim, and forget the world around him. Next thing he knew, water was flooding the training ground and when it had finally drained away, anyone else who had been present was brought to the point of exhaustion, their energy drained while Froggit felt like he could jump all the way to the surface from where he stood.

The water somehow sucked energy away from whoever was stuck in it and gave it to him. With Ryan on the other end of that, he felt like he was ready to burst in less than a second, but there was no time to savor it. He found Undyne's position quickly, cutting her off from the effect of the magic as he swam over to her.

"So I see that rumor about you was true," Undyne said as he approached. They could understand each other perfectly in the water, both being creatures of it. "Perfect timing."

"Hopefully Alphys is almost done. I am not sure how long I can hold this, ribbit."

"If it's not enough, then we'll figure something else out. For now though, I'm going to enjoy knocking him around on my terms."

"Hold on," Froggit concentrated. He tried to see if he could connect Undyne to whatever channeled the stolen energy to him. It must have worked because her eye went wide.

"Well, I could certainly get used to this," she said rolling her shoulders as her fatigue suddenly vanished.

"Be careful still, ribbit," Froggit warned. "I don't know how much of a dent this is making in him. It feels like almost none at all, ribbit."

"I'll keep that in mind," she told him. Froggit had a feeling she would not.

The amphibious monster turned to the human in question. He struggled in the water a little above the ground. It wasn't the struggle of someone drowning – if only that would work on him, but even if every other human needed to breath that was no longer the case for Ryan – it was the struggle of someone realizing his movements were being restricted and trying figure out how to compensate. Froggit was exerting a huge amount of pressure on the water around Ryan, enough that he should not have been able to move at all, but even with his reduced strength he was still stronger than any resistance Froggit could mount on his own. He simply hoped it was enough to let Undyne be able to keep him busy primarily on her own.

Undyne did not seem to share his doubt, however. "Alright," she said, more than a little eager. "Let's do this."

 

Sans kept his eye on the barricade that split the room. HHHe had no idea what was going on behind it, but he wanted to be ready for anything. Things had been quiet since it went up, which Sans realized had been several minutes ago already. The only sound remaining on their side was Doctor Alphys clanking things together and mumbling to herself. It was oddly peaceful after everything else that had happened.

The skeleton glanced at Papyrus. His brother was staring at the wall with equal intensity. Knowing him he would have forgotten to tie it off. Oh well, it hardly mattered. Papyrus had always been far stronger in magic than he was. And whatever they had done seemed to be working better than anything else so far. Still, he had never seen his brother this intense. It seemed everything really was worrying him. Sans would have to explain a few things to him later. Papyrus would try to stop him, but he deserved to know.

The taller skeleton caught his look. "It's alright," he said reassuringly. "I have things covered here. Why don't you check on the doctor?"

Paps had a point. He was of little use staring at a wall. Maybe he could speed along whatever Alphys was doing. The thought made him pause. Listen to him, trying to figure out how to go out of his way to find the best way to help. He could remember a time when he'd be asleep while all of this was going on, but it seemed that time had passed. He was going to miss it.

He let his brother be for the moment and went over to the others. The doctor sat on the ground. MK watched what she was doing with an amazement that only a kid could possess. Snowy was staring at the wall where his friends fought much the same way that he had been, looking far more worried than any kid ever should. Ayame looked almost nonchalant. Sans knew less about her than the others, he had never interacted with her directly before then, but he knew that that was typical for her. He caught her eyes occasionally flicking to where everyone had disappeared as well.

"No, that won't work either…" The doctor said quietly. Sans looked down at the monster. The phone he had given her had been broken apart into pieces which were now laid out in front of her. She held one in her hand. As she waved over it the component changed to a completely different shape then she snapped it in two before their shapes changed again. She put the new components on the ground and picked up another before she noticed the skeleton standing over her.

"So I forget, what exactly are you doing?" he asked her.

Alphys seemed to be started by the question, like she just remembered she had forgotten to turn off a laser back at the lab. "R-right," she sputtered awkwardly. "I guess a lot of that stuff before wouldn't have made much sense to anyone but Undyne and me, huh?"

"Eh, more than you'd think," Sans replied with a shrug, "but why not give me the full version anyway?"

The doctor nodded. "A while ago I made a room for Ryan and Undyne to train in so that they didn't have to hold back and be afraid of destroying everything around them. It worked by collecting and absorbing the magical energy they gave off.

"It was funny, they actually came to me with the idea. I didn't think it would work at first, but they convinced me to at least give it a shot. And I'm glad I did because…"

She trailed off as she saw Sans's questioning gaze. "Right, irrelevant. Stay on topic Alphys. The point is, the same thing here should work to trap Ryan. Well, almost the same thing."

"And you can remake that with just a phone?" MK chimed in.

The doctor looked at him like he was crazy. "Of course. It's a bit delicate, actually that's an understatement, but the density of the circuits in this thing is extreme. They just need some reworking to…" She trailed off and looked down at the pieces before her.

"Everything alright?" Sans asked.

She shook her head. "No, you're right. It's not enough. I have everything to make the device itself, but not what I need to make it work. And I've already used everything I thought to bring with me… How could I have overlooked that…?"

"What do you need?"

"Well, I can work better with stuff that's already close. Rewriting a board is a lot easier than making one from scratch, but I could use anything really, even the raw materials, why?"

Sans made one of his helpers appear in front of them. Alphys jumped back in fright while MK stared up at it in amazement. It dropped itself down on the floor and Sans gestured to it with his head. "Take what you need," he said. Seeing Alphys's hesitation, he added, "It can't do anything to you. I made sure of it." He'd have shut it down if he could, but unfortunately he could not shake the feeling he may still need it.

After another moment, the doctor swallowed and approached the creature slowly. When she became certain the thing would not suddenly jump up and attack her, her hesitation lessened. In another moment she was scanning the side of it for what she needed. Sans stepped away to avoid any awkward questions.

He spied the king walking back to them. He had been pushed outside of the barrier at the last moment, much to the skeleton's surprise. He looked more than a little annoyed by that fact, or perhaps he was also simply worried about those still on the other side. "How are you holding up?" Sans asked, then, remembering who he was talking to, added, "Your Majesty."

The king looked down at him for a moment and then gave a somber smile. "I have been better and worse I suppose. This was not exactly something I was expecting to do today." The king chuckled, and Sans was slightly thrown off by his attempt at a joke. Asgore seemed to notice it. "Forgive this old monster's sense of humor," he said. "I am afraid it has gotten a bit dry over the years."

Sans shrugged. "Heh, it's not that," he assured him. "I was just wishing I could say the same thing."

The king seemed to think on that for a moment before moving on. "The human," he began, "I hope you are all right about him."

"He's a good kid." Sans said. "He's just lost his way a bit."

Asgore's gaze drifted back to the wall. "I have found that precious few are capable of finding it again," he said quietly.

Sans eyed the King's back uneasily. It sounded very much like he was speaking from personal experience.

MK joined them before Sans could say more. "Yo! What is that thing?" the young monster asked abruptly. He gestured to the creature that Alphys was still poking at. _So much for avoiding questions_ , the skeleton thought.

"I dunno," he said curtly.

"Can Papyrus make them too?"

"No."

"Do you think you could teach me to?"

Before Sans could say anything further, Snowy spoke up. "Will you stop?" He flew over to join them. He looked more than a little angry.

MK tilted his head, perplexed. "What do mean? Stop what?"

"Acting so cheery!" Snowy yelled at him. "Aren't you worried?"

The other young monster was not taking kindly to his friend's tone. "Yeah," he said as if that should have been obvious. "Of course I am. But why shouldn't I be cheery? This is all so cool!"

That seemed to cross a line. "Cool? _Cool_?" Snowy got right in his friend's face. "Do you have any idea what's going on? Ryan's lost it, everyone is risking their lives trying to get snap him out of it, and you're sitting here acting like we're taking another vacation!"

"And what should I do?" MK shot back. "Mope around like you've been? You don't think I wish I could fight too? But everyone is right. You were watching them too, what could we do but get in the way of that? All we can do is help the doctor while she does her thing, so that's what I'm doing."

"But how can your head be so thick that you can act like this is all just some game?"

"Because I trust him!" The monster shouted. Snowy was caught short, and his friend went on. "I know Ryan would never hurt us, no matter what he says, regardless of what happened." The words bit Snowy deep, but MK was not done. "You always talk so highly of him. Maybe you should start trusting him too."

The Snowdrake's shock melted away, his anger slowly rebuilding, feathers rising as it did. He opened his mouth to argue further but Alphys's voice cut him off. "Snowy?" she asked. "Could you come here for a minute?"

Their argument was forgotten. They all went back to the doctor. Sans noticed that her pile had grown significantly. There were now eight matching components arranged in a row that looked just like plain gray cubes. There was also a single larger component with a spool of wire running off it. Other scraps were strewn about, but it looked to Sans like she was done with what she had been trying to make. Alphys was still rummaging in the belly of the creature however, which now had a sizeable hole in it.

As they stepped up to her, she turned to Snowy. "How cold can you make things?" She asked.

The Snowdrake looked more than a little confused by the question. "Cold," he said.

"Really cold? Like, really super cold?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Then I need you to do something for me. Wait there." The doctor went back to the creature, glancing back between it and her collection of gizmos. Sans then noticed a change in her. The doctor seemed more in control, more in charge, than he could ever remember seeing her. The last year had been good to her, it seemed.

"What do ya need the kid for?" Sans asked, making her jump and drop something. It shattered as it hit the ground. She spared it an awkward glance, but it was quickly forgotten.

"Power transfer," she told him once she had recovered. "A while ago I discovered a way to magically enhance metals to make them better at carrying electricity. According to Ryan, though, there's apparently a way that some metals do that naturally, and much better as well. Apparently when super cooled their resistance drops down to practically zero, making the current they can carry theoretically infinite."

The skeleton nodded in understanding. 'They're superconductors," he said.

"That's what he called them, yeah."

"Huh…" Sans investigated the remains of his helper. A couple pieces fell together in his head. "It's kind of ironic. His phone, his knowledge. I wonder what Ryan would say if he knew he was defeating himself."

"Why don't you ask him when we're done?" she suggested.

"I hope I can," he said quietly.

The doctor smiled at him. "Oh, come on. Even I have more confidence than that. We gotta believe this will work, otherwise it never will."

Sans felt that sentiment odd coming from a logical mind like hers. He was also tempted to tell her exactly why he had his doubts, but ultimately he kept them to himself. Instead he brought his attention back to the creature.

"Sorry," Alphys said, seeing his look. "I needed a lot. I'm getting better at writing circuitry at the same density as what I've seen in Ryan's phone and this thing is… well… I don't know actually."

"It's fine," he told her. "It'll grow back."

The doctor grew uncomfortable again. "Sans… do you know-"

"Yeah, I know." The skeleton gave her a look that told her he would rather not say any more, and the doctor seemed to respect it. "Do you really think this is gonna work?" he asked her.

"The sensors are set up so that once the first one is in place the rest will auto-align so as long as we can get close enough, we don't need to be very precise. They'll do the rest as long as I can connect it to a big enough power storage so the thing doesn't overload in less than a second." She gathered up the wire next to the larger component in her arms and started to walk to the side of the hall. "Snowy, could you come with me?" she asked and the Snowdrake followed after. Sans did as well, for the sake of his curiosity.

The wire uncoiled in the doctor's arms as she went to the wall, snaking all the way back to where the larger component sat. At the wall, she dropped the rest and began to scan the stone. "If I remember correctly…" she mumbled. She grabbed one of the stones and pulled it from the wall. Behind it were a number of wires surrounding a panel of green lights. She pulled one of the wires up from the rest and cut it with a claw. One of the lights went red and she began to connect the severed end to the wire she had carried over. Once done, she turned to Snowy. "The core's primary storage capacitors are about an eighth of a mile below us," she told him. "It's probably a bit longer since it isn't a perfectly straight shot. Do you think you can reach that far with your magic?"

Snowy only looked more confused now. "I don't know," he told her. "I've never tried before."

"I don't know anything about ice magic except what I've analyzed from Ryan, so do you think this is something you're capable of? I don't want to force you if you think it will hurt you."

"No! I wanna try, at least." Snowy said adamantly. "If it means helping Ryan, I'll do anything."

Alphys just stared at him for a moment before scooping the wire back up and going back to the pile. "I'm not risking it," she said.

"Wait! Why not?"

"Because I know you have the tendency to over tax yourself. I'm not putting you in jeopardy for this."

"But it's our only plan!"

"I know, but I'll just have to think of another way."

"Why wouldn't the wires as they are work?" Sans asked though he suspected he knew the answer. He also knew how Alphys's mind worked though.

"The energy wouldn't be able to move fast enough and the system would overload from the buildup. I have a pretty good idea of his power output from the data I gathered while he was training, and it will be tough to match that even with a capable transfer method and storage, and nothing short of the core will work to contain the energy. But if it's too far away… I don't know. The only thing that can hold as much energy as it in the entire Underground is…" She turned to Sans, eyes wide. "There's still a way!" she proclaimed.

"The barrier." Sans said, following her line of logic. The thing sucked up nearby magical energy like a bottomless pit.

The doctor gathered up the wire again. "We need to get this to it." She said.

"I hate to alarm," Papyrus said suddenly, "but you may want finish up. Something is happening."

He did not elaborate, and Sans did not need him time to. He held out his hand to the doctor. "Here," he said. She handed Sans the wire. He sent away the helper she had been working on and brought out another. The creature took the wire in its jaw and sprinted off to the barrier, letting it uncoil behind it.

"The barrier's just in the other room." The doctor thought aloud as she turned back to Snowy. "Do you think you could go that far?" The doctor said to Snowy.

"Definitely." The Snowdrake confirmed, and he went to work.

Whimsalot then floated down to them. He did not look happy. "Uh, guys? Are you close to done yet?"

"Almost." Alphys told him.

"Well, finish up quick, because-"

"Look out!"

Sans turned just in time to see his brother's wall fail. Bone creaked as it bowed outward and eventually gave way, exploding into splinters. Water gushed forth from the break, opening it wider, then a second appeared and a third and fourth, until finally the whole thing collapsed. It happened quickly, yet Sans felt the moment drag on as his mind worked to take in what was happening.

His friends were in danger. He grabbed his brother with magic, momentarily shifting gravity to pull him towards them. Then he threw up a bone as the torrent hit. The water hit the pillar with force enough to shake the floor, but it parted harmlessly around him and his friends. They all huddled together as the worst passed over them, residual spray soaking them regardless. Sans looked around for the others. He could see a silhouette that he thought might be the king. He seemed to have stemmed the tide in his own way, but he could not make out the rest.

The water level lowered rapidly, evaporating around them until the room was empty once more. As the last of it disappeared, Froggit slid over to them. "Is everyone alright, ribbit?"

"We're fine," Ayame said quickly. "What happened?"

Sans found himself asking the same question. He looked around the hall. The windows were little more than holes in the wall along half its length because of the flood. Undyne was once more face down on the ground with Asgore standing over her, helping her to her feet. There was little water left, even on all of them. Finally Sans saw Ryan standing near where he had been before he disappeared he only looked angrier after whatever had happened behind the wall.

"We're going to need another distraction, ribbit," Froggit summed up.

"Now do you finally know your place?" Ryan shouted from his spot on the other side of the hall. "Nothing you do will stop me! This is the difference between humans and monsters. If just one up there wanted you all dead you wouldn't stand a chance. But that doesn't matter, because there's one already down here."

"Sans?" Alphys began, turning to him. The skeleton noted that she was oddly calm given the situation. "Is it ready?"

Sans checked on his helper. For a moment he could feel the tug of the barrier on it before it began to bound its way back. He sent it away and looked back at the doctor, nodding.

"Then we don't need another distraction," Alphys said more to everyone around them. "We-"

The bone Sans had summoned to block the water suddenly split in two. As it fell away to nothing, they found Ryan standing behind it. "It's too late to hide now," he told the startled group.

However, to Sans, it did not look like he was truly seeing all of them. He made the connection just as Ayame spoke up. "Who's hiding?" she pestered. "It's just you and me."

He smirked still not seeing the rest of them standing in front of him. "You always thought you were such a good liar. But you could never fool me." His sword swung outward and flame shot out from the blade. He was too close for Sans to do anything about it, not even push them to the ground before the fire would hit.

Then, flames hit ice. The crystalline water shattered from the sudden heat, but it worked to block the spell. Ryan's eyes immediately went to Snowy who he now seemed to be able to see just fine. The Snowdrake simply looked resolute as he stared back at the human.

"Snowy, stay out of this!" Ayame shouted. The Astigmatism had thrown herself to the ground to avoid the flames.

"You should listen to her." Ryan said oddly gently.

Snowy shook his feathered head. "I'm not gonna sit back and watch my friends hurt each other anymore."

"Shame," Ryan mumbled before a burst of air threw the young monster back.

He then turned to MK. The lizard monster was looking up at the human with wide eyes, yet they were not filled with wonder anymore. "What's wrong?" he asked the monster. He took a step towards him, and the monster stepped back. "I bet I know," he went on. "You were thinking there was no way I could possibly hurt any of you, didn't you? You trusted me not to cross that line." He took another step forward, and MK another step back. "I bet you feel betrayed, angry. But more than any of that, you must be terrified. I can see it all over your face." Another step. MK looked ready to faint.

"S-stop!" The young monster stammered, and to everyone's surprise the human did. "I just want all of this to stop. I don't get why we can't all just go back to town. Why are we fighting?" Sans looked at Ryan. He looked like his eyes had glazed over. Had MK done something to him?

The human shook his head, clearing it of whatever came over him. "Interesting…" he said before taking another step.

That's far enough, Sans thought, but before he could bring out one of his helpers, pillars of ice shot from the ground. Ryan jumped back, and more followed in his wake. Snowy swooped in on the wave of his distraction trying to claw at Ryan, and earned himself and elbow to his side. He hit the ground hard, bouncing once before laying still.

"None of you will learn, will you? I thought monsters were supposed to be quick to embrace change. I guess instilling dread just isn't my strong suit. Then perhaps this will be enough." He took a step toward Snowy, and suddenly MK was between them. The young monster was shaking, but the fear was gone from his eyes. Ryan chuckled. "He was right. You really are all idiots, aren't you?"

The man brought his sword up, and the wind suddenly whipped around him, knocking him back slightly. The wind filled with razors of ice, they sliced at his cloths and skin, shredding him.

Snowy was on his feet again. It was a struggle he seemed destined to lose, but he rose anyway. Panting at the exertion, the wind picked up as he spoke, nearly swallowing his words, but Sans heard them clearly as the young monster heaved all his pain and anger into one last attack, "I am not… going to lose… my DAD AGAIN!" The drake let out a roar, and the hall became a cyclone of wind and ice. Ryan was forced back as the ice froze the air itself, chasing after him. He moved as fast as he could, but they caught up with him regardless. The man attempted to kick off of the tide to give him more speed, but the ice caught his leg and began to envelope him. Tiny ice crystals grew off of the larger and dug into his skin and then the leg itself began to freeze. The ice continued to grow around him, spreading from his legs to his body and arms and head, until he was completely encased.

The hall had become a cavern, a cave of flowing ice formations and jagged pillars that had grown out of thin air. Any onlooker would have called it not only beautiful but impossible, and Sans shared the latter sentiment.

The air was cold enough that even long time denizens of Snowdin were shivering in the wake of Snowy's magic. The young monster stood at the head ice, he teetered back and forth for a moment before collapsing, and all of the ice shattered into a fine mist as he fell, turning the hall back to how it had once been.

 

"Snowy!" Ayame called as she ran over to him.

The rest gathered around the monster as the Astigmatism pulled him back to his feet. "I'm fine," he said weakly. "I just need a second."

"You are not fine!" Ayame argued. "What you just did was insane, even for you. What were you thinking?"

Snowy was silent a moment. "I couldn't…" he struggled with the words. His eyes fought to stay open. "I just want this to be over."

The drake finally let unconsciousness take him. "We'll get him back," Ayame told him. "Don't worry." The Astigmatism looked down the hall. As the mist evaporated, she could see Ryan's form lying on the ground. A faint red light surrounded him. Sans and Papyrus had taken up position in front of her. The taller skeleton looked back and gave her a smile and a thumbs up while Sans just looked at her with that unreadable expression of his.

The king walked over a moment later supporting Undyne as she limped alongside him. He helped the warrior sit down before coming to look at Snowy. Alphys rushed to Undyne's side, concern writ on her face. "Don't worry about me," she said. "Just saving some energy for the next bout."

Asgore rested his hand on the small monster's back, nearly enveloping him completely. A golden light emanated from his palm for a moment before he shook his head. "He needs to rest." The king said flatly.

The monster shuffled in Ayame's arms. "I'm fine." he maintained.

Asgore knelt down so the young monster could see his face. "What you did was very admirable," he said, "but I doubt any of your friends would be very happy if you pushed yourself too hard. Rest. We will take it from here." The drake looked ready to argue again, but the monster's exhaustion took him again and he closed his eyes.

Undyne was back on her feet again by then. She walked over to join them. "I am beginning to think that this may be futile." The king admitted. "Even together, we are no match for him."

"Nonsense," Undyne told him. "I've fought with him more than anyone, and despite what he might be saying, he's still holding back. If he really wanted us dead, we would have been so nine times over already."

"Are you certain?" the king questioned.

The warrior nodded. "Positive. I don't know what game he's playing, but I think we might be starting to get through to him." She turned to the doctor. "Alphys?"

"It's ready. I think," she said nervously.

Undyne gave a nod. "Then let's see if this works. What do you need us to do?"

Alphys walked away from the group for a moment. When she came back she handed them each a gray cube. "These will serve as the vertices for the field," she told them. Four need to be placed on the ground and four in the air. Press the button on the side to activate them. The field strength is small, no more than maybe eight feet, so timing will be important. You'll have to place them all at the same time if we hope to catch him. Don't worry about being perfect though, they'll do the hard part as all of the rest are close enough. Also, I've modified the field slightly so it works on more than just magical energy. So if this works, he shouldn't be able to do anything at all to anything outside."

"Alright, you heard the doc. Let's try to do this before he wakes up."

 

They all started at a run. Asgore came up to Undyne as they crossed the hall.

"Undyne, if this does not work…" the king trailed off.

"I know," the warrior told him. "We'll cross that bridge if we come to it." She paused for a moment then added, "You know, Your Majesty, you weren't the only one that was starting to think that gathering human souls like we were was the wrong way to go about things. If you had told everyone you wanted to stop, I don't think they would have been very angry."

"I never said-" the king started to deny.

"Don't try to hide it, Sir."

The king's gaze grew distant. "Perhaps you are right, but it is too late to think on that now, I feel. He _is_ the final piece to the puzzle, regardless of how this ends. The only thing left to see is how he will fit into it."

The group gathered around the fallen human. Two each taking positions in a square around him. "Ready?" Undyne called. "One, two,"

"Useless," Ryan's voice came from below them. Suddenly they were all blown back as a cyclone of fire rose into the air.

Undyne managed to stay on her feet. She glanced around and saw that everyone else was more or less just as lucky. They were all looking back at Ryan who now stood in the middle of them. The warrior cursed under her breath. With a battle cry, she charged back in. The rest of the group was barely a beat behind her. Before they could get close enough, Ryan raised his hand and lightning struck them each in turn, blowing them back once more. That time Undyne did not land on her feet.

"Did you really think I was going to fall for your trap?" Ryan said as Undyne struggled to regain control of her spazzing body. She only managed to raise her head in time to see him walking over to Ayame who had landed the closest of all of them. "When will you get it through your heads?" He picked up Ayame by one of her horns. She groaned as she was lifted into the air.

Undyne saw Ayame open her mouth and Ryan flinched for a moment. "You know, I always hated that trick of yours." He said just before he thrust his arm into mouth. There was a terrible ripping sound as he pulled it free again followed by Ayame's choked scream. He held his hand high for all to see what he now held: her true eye.

The man turned to Undyne with a flat expression as he tossed Ayame to the side. "Still think I'm holding back?" he said to her.

Undyne saw him tense, and in her mind she knew that she was dead; they had failed. But before he could do anything, another of those creatures appeared between them. It snapped its jaws at the man. Ryan dodged and struck back with a swing of his sword, air scything out with it, extending the reach of the blade. The creature dodged as well and unleashed a beam that threatened to blind Undyne with its light. It was off its mark, however, and Ryan managed to lunge in for a killing strike, but was blocked as bones surrounded him like a cage.

The creature bounded off to stand between him and the fallen Astigmatism. Ryan turned to his other interloper. Papyrus stood with his arm outstretched as if reaching out to Ryan. The human stared back at him flatly. "Ryan," the skeleton said softly, then, with more force, added, "I do not understand what is going on, what would bring you to do any of this."

"Of course you don't," Ryan interrupted. "You never had a very good grasp on anything." As she got back to her feet, Undyne noted that he did not try to break out of the walls surrounding him, though she knew he could with ease. "Frankly, I don't know why you even bother to try, especially now."

"Because we are friends," Papyrus told him. "Not matter what you do, I will always give you the benefit of the doubt, another chance. I know you do not do anything without a reason. So, please, let us talk, so that I, Papyrus, your best friend, can understand your pain and help make you feel better. That's what friends are for, isn't it?"

Undyne saw Ryan flinch. She had fought with him long enough to know the subtle ways he revealed things in how he moved. The slightly widened eyes, the white knuckles gripping his sword, the slight shift in his footing; he was hesitating.

Undyne took advantage of the moment. She charged in, a hail of spears moving in ahead of her. They pulverized the cage around him, but did little to harm the human inside. Their weapons collided a moment later. He looked to her with the deadpan expression she was beginning to grow accustomed to seeing on his face, his eyes glowing red. Whatever he had been thinking after Papyrus's words seemed to be gone.

Asgore was right behind her. His trident rang out as it was intercepted by the human's other sword.

"Paps is right you know," she told him. "But there's one other thing friends are good for." The stalemate broke off as Undyne let her spear vanish, another appearing in her offhand simultaneously. She spun, letting her anger at what he had done to Ayame fuel her attack, and the three traded blows before becoming locked once more. "And that's knocking their skulls in when they mess up."

 

"Ayame!" MK shouted as he ran over to her. He was still having trouble staying on his feet, but he persevered, trying his best not to think about what had happened. The monster lay on her stomach, unmoving. MK pushed her onto her back and was relieved to see her eyes flutter open. "Yo, are you okay?" he asked sheepishly.

"No," Ayame said, her voice sounding strained. She groaned in pain as she tried to sit up, needing MK's help to do so.

"Ayame…" MK said quietly as the other monster tried to recover. "Did he really…?"

"Tear my eye out?" Ayame finished for him. "Yes, he did. And it's not something I'm about to forgive him for very easily." The Astigmatism struggled to her feet. "It's a good thing I had three of them though, else I'd be walking around like Undyne from now on."

Her attempt at humor slid off the other monster. "Does… Does that mean he's really…? I mean, that's pretty messed up… Is what we're trying to do wrong? Should we be trying to stop him, you know, for good?"

Ayame shook her head without hesitation. "I was once in a place where I very well might have done the same thing to someone. Everyone else had given me up for dead, seen me as hopeless, even my father.

"He was the one that convinced me to keep going; he showed me how to be better than that. I owe him my life, and I'd gladly give it or any part of me if it will help him see what he showed me again." She smiled at the other monster, trying her best to hide her pain from him.

MK looked just a little bit more hopeful. "You're right."

Ayame looked at the scene before her. Undyne and the king were once again throwing Ryan into a supposed stalemate. She had no idea how they managed to keep fighting so hard. It was time for her to start pulling her weight as well. She looked over the cube she had been given. "Alphys's plan hasn't failed yet," she told MK. "We just need an opening." She turned to regard the young monster. She was in the same mind as everyone else that this was too dangerous for him to get involved, but he was as much Ryan's friend as the rest of them. He deserved to be a part of this. "Think you can help me make one?"

MK hesitated for a moment then pushed his fear down and nodded. "Are you okay to keep fighting?" he said in concern.

Ayame smile turned to a mischievous smirk, anger fueling the expression. "He might have taken one of my illusions from me, but I still have another: the one he taught me." MK blinked as he was suddenly looking at another of himself. It was like looking in a mirror only the reflection did not follow his moves as he got a closer look at it. "And to be honest I was beginning to like that one more anyway," Ayame's voice finished, coming from the MK clone.

Whimsalot and Froggit joined them. The pair stopped short as they looked between the two MKs. "I think Ryan told me about a movie where something like this happened in it."

"Really, ribbit?"

"Yeah. There was this weird world within a computer, and it didn't really make much sense to me, but I remember him saying it didn't end very well."

"I'm glad you're impressed." Ayame said. Her voice was odd coming from MK's form. "Thanks for the concern by the way."

The monster shrugged. "What? I express worry through humor."

Froggit eyed him. "You express everything through humor, ribbit."

Whimsalot eyed him back. "So then you see my point." He then turned back to the others. "I take it you have a new plan?"

"Well, I've been told I was once pretty good at getting people to do what I want." Ayame explained. "I was thinking it was time to pick up some old habits. I think Ryan will forgive me for breaking my promise to him just this once. Plus I feel bad that the king and the royal guard have been doing most of the work."

Whimsalot shrugged again. "We're used to doing odd jobs like this. If you're hurt you don't need to push yourself."

"I'm fine," she assured him. "And from here it looks like you could use the help."

"Fine," the monster relented, "but you're not doing this all by yourselves. What can we do to help?"

"That depends." Ayame's voice shifted to become a perfect mimicry of MK's own. "Still got anything up your sleeve?"

The two monsters shared a look. "As a matter of fact, yes, I do."

They shared the final details of their plan quickly, and held on to hope that it would work. "Yo," MK spoke up as they finished. The three monsters turned to him and they were met with his look of renewed excitement. "This is so cool!"

 

Ryan flowed from movement to movement with barely a registered thought. Fighting had become more than second nature to him; it was easier than breathing. It stilled his mind, allowing him to find a peace that had been unknown to him before in his life. He had rejected that peace once, but now he welcomed it. The flower had helped him see the futility in resisting it. It was a part of who he was; further proof that the capacity for destruction, for devastation, rested in everyone. It allowed him to see that what he was doing was the right way of things; the only way.

He would wipe out the monsters then give his soul to the destruction of the barrier. Then Flowey could finish what he and his sibling had started: the creation of a new world. One without humans or monsters to ruin it.

He had not expected his friends to stand in his way like this. He did not understand why they bothered. He had already abandoned them, why had they come back? He could have killed them all easily already, but he wanted to do more than that. He wanted to show them what he had learned first. He felt like he owed it to them for deceiving them for so long.

Undyne and Asgore fought well together. They were easily the strongest pair he had ever fought, but they were still barely a challenge. He fought on, deflecting blow after blow, barely even using the magic available to him, and watched their expressions closely.

He had expected to see anger. An anger that slowly turned to confusion and then sorrow as they finally accepted that what they were trying to do was pointless. But the only things he continued to find in their eyes were defiance. Defiance and determination. He was beginning to think that they themselves were hopeless. Why did they keep fighting?

They were getting weaker. He could tell by the way they moved. Their reactions were getting slower, the power behind their strikes feebler. It was a slight change, but it was there. In contrast, his power was limitless. He had gone so long without that mysterious well of energy that he reveled in it. Their failure was inevitable, one way or another. Surely they saw that.

And yet onward they fought.

What hope did they cling to? What chance did they think they had? What had Alphys been working on that they had tried to distract him from?

That was the key, he was sure. But he need not go after that hope's source. He had already let them try whatever they planned. He showed them time and time again that anything they tried would be useless. He _would_ show them that. Regardless of their choices, the end would be the same. Just as the flower had shown him.

He felt something latch onto his shoulder. He turned away another of Asgore's strikes, knocking him back. Letting his sword fall away, he grabbed at the new presence, but it simply moved to his other shoulder. Finally, he glanced at it and found MK's smiling face staring back at him. "Yo!" The young monster said cheerfully.

Ryan grabbed at him again, but his hand went straight through him before it vanished.

"You never did show me how making swords was different from making bones." MK's voice now came from by his feet. He looked down to see the monster still grinning back up at him. The distraction nearly made him miss blocking one of Undyne's attacks. He spared a moment of concentration on the warrior before turning back to the foolish young monster only to find him gone once more.

"I used to wonder if you really were stronger than Undyne." MK was now just outside of his peripheral vision. He had to turn his head to see him. Asgore's trident tore through his side a moment later. He bit back the pain, the wound healing almost as quickly as it was given to him. "Watching the two of you fight was the coolest thing in the world!" the young monster continued, "and learning from both of you and Papyrus was better than a dream come true. I dream of the day when I'm as strong as any of you."

Ryan sent a sword at the monster to shut him up, or at the very least scare him off, but he moved out of the way with incredible speed. Speed he knew the monster was not capable of. Something was wrong.

"I have no doubt who's the strongest now." MK went on, now on the other side of him. Ryan decided to just ignore him, turning back to Asgore and Undyne. The two attacked simultaneously to either side of him. Ryan tried to spin to get them to hit one another, but something caught his feet and he tripped. He looked down to see it was a bone.

He was sent sprawling. Both of the attacks hit their marks, large gashes being carved into his chest and back, and he hit the floor. He rolled with it the fall, coming back to his feet in an instant. He found MK waiting in front of him.

"But I also learned that there are things more important than that." He said.

"It's not just about how strong you are," MK's voice suddenly came from behind him as well. He turned to see the monster standing there as well.

"It's about what you use that strength for." The two monster's said in unison.

Then suddenly two became dozens. The monsters surrounded him, all speaking over one another.

"Yo!"

"Over here."

"What's wrong dude?"

Ryan grit his teeth. He was growing sick of these ploys. He knew what was going on; he should have taken more than just Ayame's eye. He focused, drowning out the voices and focusing on the tells of where the more substantial bodies were hiding. He knew his own magic well enough to know how to counter it. You could not hide the way you displaced the air around you, could not block the smell you gave off.

_There._

He lunged, grabbing one of the MKs by the throat. The monster let out a groan and the rest fell away. One turned into Ayame off to the side. He had grabbed the real one then.

"Did you really think that would accomplish anything?" He asked him.

"No," the monster said with no small degree of effort. "I'm glad you grabbed me though."

Ryan's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Because I don't need hands to cover my ears," he told him before shouting, "Now!"

Ryan caught a speck fly into his vision. Whimsalot. The insectoid monster flew to just outside his range, smirking. "No hard feelings, eh bud?" he said before letting out a screech that made his ears ring. The sound built until his head split with pain, his vision blurred. He felt something pop in his head and something wet begin to run down his neck. After that all was quiet, but the pain and disorientation persisted. His entire body vibrated, and he felt himself losing control. He dropped the monster in his hand before falling to his knees. The floor filled what remained of his vision. One thought bounced through his head as he sat there, unable to do anything: he was impressed.

 

"I think that's our cue," Undyne said to Asgore as she watched Ryan get driven to his knees. The rest seemed to realize this as well. They each got into position as Whimsalot continued to unleash whatever magic he was using to subdue Ryan. Froggit had both his and the monster's cube in his hands. They each looked to each other and nodded.

They placed the cube in unison. The moment they were all roughly in the corners of a cube, Undyne felt it get pulled from her hand. She watched them spin as they aligned themselves, the upper four rising over their heads. Then they stopped, floating in the air yet fixed in a way that made Undyne think that nothing in the world could shift them. Whimsalot went silent and then turned to Alphys. "Doc!" he called.

Alphys stood with the larger control device at her feet a little ways away. She nodded and hit the button on its top. A bar of electricity shot out of it forming a line like bouncing, jagged teeth. It connected to the corner of the cube closest to it. The cube responded by turning from gray to white and flying apart along the axis of the larger shape. The electricity then continued out from those fragments to the other corners. The process repeated until the whole cube was connected then more light shot out from each of the fragments connecting each to one another and forming an intricate geometry around Ryan's huddled form.

Everything went quite. They each waited, tense, expecting something to go wrong. Alphys was the first to move. She walked over to investigate the cage, looking it over. "I think it worked," she told them.

Undyne was skeptical. "This doesn't look like much of a cage, Alphys." And indeed it did not. There were large holes in each of the sides of it. She had trouble believing it could keep anything inside.

"You remember how the training room worked?" she asked her.

Undyne nodded. "It sort of sucked any magic close by into it."

"Each of those lines will do the same, better actually. And anything he throws at it should only make it stronger. Trust me, it will work. The hard part's done."

Ryan began to rise unsteadily to his feet. They each flinched back despite Alphys's words. As he rose, his figure became obscured by a red and orange light. Flame, Undyne realized. The bars of electricity close to him began to glow brighter as the fire was sucked into them. His head snapped up as he realized what was happening and he began to investigate the cage around him.

A sword began to appear in his hand, but it fell apart before it was fully realized. Undyne could see that he was getting angry he swung his fist at a gap between the lines, but it bounced back all the same. The lines then began to shift. They spun out of the interior of the cube and expanded until the exterior was solid white walls.

"That's enough of that, I think," Ayame said from over by the cage's controller. "It works." She added, pulling her hand away from one of the other buttons on its face and falling back in exhaustion. The rest gave the cage one final look before joining her.

"Are you alright?" Asgore asked as she reached her side.

"I'm fine. It's no big deal, really. I'm just glad it worked." She paused for a second before looking up at the king. "Hey, Your Majesty, if at any point you decide to make some sort of memorial to what happened here today, be sure to give Snowy and me our own statues, huh?" She patted the drake's head who was resting next to her. The act stirred him to wakefulness.

"What happened?" the monster asked groggily.

"We did it!" MK announced. And with his words, it finally seemed to sink in with all of them. They had done it. They had subdued a human who had them all together outmatched. The moment was bittersweet, however. They were not done just yet. Undyne looked back at the cube forming Ryan's cage. _You're wrong Doc,_ she thought. _We have yet to even hit the hard part. But first._

"Open it back up like before," she said as she cracked her knuckles. "It's time to 'talk' to him." She began to walk back over to the cube, but Asgore's hand kept her back.

"I know that you believe this human to be your friend," the king said not just to her but to everyone. "Perhaps he was, and I know you each came here to try to get that friend back, but I have known humans like him in the past. I have seen others fall like he has, seen the destruction they cause, and he has proven through his actions to be no different than them." He looked down at Ayame as he finished. The monster looked away, embarrassed.

"I am sorry," Asgore went on, "but I cannot allow someone like him to stay alive."

"What?" Whimsalot shouted, saying what they were all thinking. The rest were too taken aback. "After everything we just went through?"

"Asgore…" Undyne voiced quietly.

Alphys ran up to him, skidding to a halt so as to not hit him. "Y-Your Majesty, you need to understand," she began.

"I understand perfectly," he told her. He turned to regard all of them. "This is not a decision I make lightly. I know it will hurt each of you deeply, but as king it is what I must do to protect us all." He turned away to see Whimsalot and Froggit blocking his path.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but we can't let you do that," Whimsalot said defiantly. "We can get him back still. We know it."

"Even if you did," Asgore told him patiently, "there will always be the chance he could become the same again."

"That could be said about any of us!" The small monster argued. Tears were beginning to form in his eyes. "We like to think we're so different than humans because we don't start wars or get into fights all the time, yet even monsters can be bad from time to time. The difference is we trust each other to be better than that. We know that there's a reason behind every action.

"The same holds true for Ryan, so why does he not deserve the same chance as everyone else? Because he's human?"

The king regarded him flatly. "You do not know humans the same way I do," he said.

"And what makes what you're doing any better than them? At least Ryan gave us a chance! Is this what you did with the other humans as well? Just assume they were all bad and kill them?"

"Enough!" Asgore snapped. "Human were the ones who imprisoned us, sentenced us to an eternity in this grave. And ever since, they have only continued to take everything from us."

Whimsalot took the king's anger in stride not moving an inch. "I would rather be trapped down here forever with Ryan, then be free in a world with him gone." Whimsalot said unwaveringly. "I think the same goes for all of us."

The two continued to stare at one another until Alphys's voice pierced the silence. "Snowy!" she shouted.

Their heads turned to the spot where the monster had been on the ground. He was gone. Undyne spun to see the back half of him disappear into the cube.

"Open that up!" Undyne demanded. Alphys ran to the control, twisting a dial the cage walls became translucent. They saw Ryan sitting cross-legged near one of the walls. His head was down, almost like he was asleep. Snowy was standing across from him. "Can we get him out?" Undyne asked.

"Not without shutting the whole thing down." Alphys told her.

"Damn it! I'm going in after him."

"Wait!" Someone called. She hesitated just long enough to hear Snowy start to speak.

 

"Why?" Snowy said, voice quivering with anger and grief. "Why did you leave?"

Ryan's head rose slowly from his lap to regard the monster. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Was it because Undyne lied to you? Was because of what happened with Ruby? Or Sallie?"

Ryan shook his head. "I was always going to leave. I told you that."

Snowy looked ready to argue, but he bit it back. "I know," he said, defeated. "But I always thought it would be better than the way you did."

"There was no other way it could have been. I tried to warn you all. You should never have gotten close to me."

"But you got close to us too!"

"And that was my biggest mistake."

"It's not a mistake!" the drake cried. "You never thought it was a mistake. You wanted to be with Sallie and all of us. I know it!"

"You're right," Ryan admitted. "I did wish for that, but it isn't possible. It never was."

"You're the only one who thinks that, Ryan. Everyone else is willing to let you come back, even after all of this. Why won't you?"

The human let out a breath. "You don't understand, Snowy."

"Why does everyone always tell me that? You're just like my dad and my brother. They just tell me I'm too young to understand anything and to go along with whatever they say because of it. How about you at least try to explain it to me, huh? I'm not stupid."

Ryan stood and looked down at the monster, regarding him flatly. "Fine," he began, anger beginning to build in his own expression. "I never cared about any of you," he explained, "not really. I was simply nice because it was expected of me; because I thought it was right. The times that I stayed back, the times that I returned, it was not because I wanted to stay or because of any of you, it was because I was afraid that I wasn't ready to go forward, that I would lose my shot at something greater than any of this. I became friends with all of you only because at the back of my mind I thought it might still help lead me to what I really wanted. But it was foolish. I should have already known that no amount of friends would help me. It would only make things hurt more.

"And now I know that what I really wanted was never possible, but that still leaves the rest of you the same: as dirt for me to tread upon, nothing more."

"You don't mean that!" Snowy shouted. "Alphys told us about why you're thinking like that. That's why we came! To help you!"

"And just what would you know? What do you and the doctor think you've been able to puzzle out of me this time? I can guarantee that you're wrong." Ryan said before he suddenly appeared at Snowy's side. A moment later the drake was hurtling towards the wall. He let out a grunt as he hit, sliding to the ground, wall shimmering as it dispersed the energy from the impact. "The only help any of you could give me is by lying down and dying," he finished.

The drake struggled to get back to his feet. "I know Ryan's still in there somewhere," he said defiantly. "I know he would never hurt any of us."

Ryan kicked Snowy back to the ground. He slid across the floor of his prison. "How many times do I have to say it? Ryan is dead," he told him. "I am all that's left of him. I have no friends, and I have no problem hurting any of you."

Once more, Snowy struggled back to his feet. Ryan frowned. "Why do you insist on doing this to yourselves? Why don't you just stay down?"

"Because I won't give up, not on you, not ever, not even if I were dead."

"Then your effort is wasted, because I've already given up on all of you."

"That's not how it works," Snowy argued. "It doesn't matter if you or anyone else feels the same way back. It was y that showed me you need to be willing to give more than you'll ever get from people and not worry about what you get in return. I believe in you because I choose to, even when you don't believe in yourself. That's what being friends means. That's what love means."

Ryan clenched his teeth. He swung his leg back for another kick, but it hit something other than the young drake. MK's form hit the wall behind his friend with a thud, but he managed to stay on his feet as he hit the ground, staggering.

"MK," Snowy breathed as the monster went to stand between him and Ryan.

"Stay out of this," Ryan warned. MK simply stood there. Clenching his fist, he swung down at the monster. He hit something else. Ayame's rotund form rolled along the ground. Ryan stared at her in disbelief "Are you all really this dumb?" he questioned.

"No," Ayame said as she picked herself up. "The kid's just right. We won't ever give up on you. No matter what happens to us."

Ryan stepped over to the monster and MK stood in his way once again. He growled and reached down to grab him, but something swatted his hand away. He turned to see Froggit with the same look in his eyes as the rest of them. "I tried to kill you, each of you." Ryan said angrily. "I am stronger than all of you. Anyone with any sense at all would have run, would have left me for dead."

"You don't get it, do you Ryan?" Whimsalot said as he moved to hover over his friend. "It's not up to you to decide whether or not we care about you anymore. It's our choice to stay by your side. We knew the risks, but we chose to fight anyway."

"He's right." Sans's voice came from behind him. "You may have been the one to bring this crazy family together, but that doesn't mean you get to choose when to tear it apart." Ryan swung at the skeleton, but like always he dodged with ease. "And maybe you're right, maybe everything you thought to achieve was hopeless, but that doesn't mean everything has to end."

Ryan swung again, but it was Papyrus that stood where the smaller skeleton should have been. He pulled his blow short. "We can figure something else out," he said. "Together. That way everyone can be happy."

Ryan hesitated for another moment, his face a well of disbelief. Then, rage took it once again and he wound back for another blow, but he found he could put no force behind it.

The punch hit an armored torso. He looked up to see Undyne staring down at him. Then, the captain of the Royal Guard did something he did not expect at all. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him.

"I'm sorry," she said, as soft as her growly voice could manage. "This is all my fault, isn't it? I should have never lied to you. I never should have held you back. I believed you when you said you just wanted to help us, but old instincts kept making me doubt. And now I've ruined everything, haven't I? I made you miss your chance to do whatever it was you were working for." She pulled away slightly to look at him. "I'm no stranger to watching everything I ever wanted getting turned on its head." She reached up and scratched the area around her eye patch. "Especially to my own anger and impatience. But, I've learned that it's never over. Something else will come along and be just as worth it to fight for. And you never know, you might find something better than what you thought you wanted originally, you may even find another path to what you wanted in the first place."

"I don't understand."

"You don't need to understand. That can come later. All that matters in the moment is you do what feels right. Does all of this feel right?"

Ryan's voice stuck in his throat. All of his friends were around him now. He wanted to push them away. A part of him wanted to kill them, to just make all of it end. He knew he could do it; he had done it already. And yet he had not. "I don't know," he admitted finally. "Nothing makes sense anymore. Nothing is going how it's supposed to."

"Nothing ever does," The warrior told him.

"It just all seems so hopeless."

"I know, but I promise you that will change. And you have all of us to help."

Ryan shook his head. "You can't," he said. "There's something else, something stronger than me, and it will never stop trying to destroy everything."

Undyne shook him by the shoulders. "Then we'll fight it. All of us, with everything we've got, or die trying. You can count on that."

Something snapped within him at that moment. He felt something on his cheeks and realized he was crying. With that realization, his knees gave out. He fell to the ground, face buried in his hands. Everything seemed so wrong to him all of the sudden. How could he have attacked his friends? How could he have let everyone down like that? "I'm so sorry…" he said through his sobs.

A second later he was nearly knocked off his feet as a weight crashed into him, he was only kept upright as another crashing into him, and then another, and another. He looked up to find all of his friends embracing him. They smiled. Some of them giggled and the sound built into a ferocious laughter. Ryan still did not understand how they could even stand to be near them, but he no longer cared. He embraced them just as much as they embraced him.

Undyne, still standing, rested a hand on his shoulder and smiled down at him. "Open it up, Alphys. I think we got him."

A second later, the walls of light fell away. The hall resolved itself around them. Ryan took in the destruction around him. He looked down at his friends smiling up at him again and made a decision.

"I don't deserve any of you," he said. "Your kindness, your trust, none of it."

Snowy fought his way to the center of the mass around him and threw his wings around him again. "Well you have it, so deal with it, alright?"

Ryan reached down to pat him on the head, but pulled short. Standing up, he regarded all of them. The children looked ecstatic as did Whimsalot, Froggit merely had a look of contentment which for him was the same thing, and Ayame looked tired, as did Papyrus. Sans nodded to him. "Thank you." He told them all.

Ryan turned to Asgore who had remained outside with the doctor. The king of monsters still regarded him warily, as he had every right to.

"Your Majesty," Ryan said to him, "I give you my soul. Use it to destroy the barrier or however you see fit." Gasps came from behind him, and so he added, "This is the only right way now, I think."

Snowy was at his side in a flutter of wings. Tears were beginning to form in his large eyes again "Why?"

"I'm sorry." He told him. "I know you all fought to help me, and I'm glad you did, because it helped me realize something: I was never meant to be a part of this story, but I tried to be anyway and I messed up. And even if all of you forgive me, that doesn't change the fact that I betrayed all of you, and that I betrayed myself."

"I won't let you do this!" Snowy cried. An invisible wall stopped the monster from reaching Ryan. The wall pushed him back along with others. They beat against the shield, each shouting at him, but he didn't listen.

"It's not up to you," he whispered, turning back to the king. "I know that at least you think that this is right."

"I do," he agreed. "But tell me, what of what you said about the surface? About the danger you proposed?"

Ryan gave one last look to his friends. They were still pounding on his spell, tears were rolling down their faces. He smiled. "I think you'll all do just fine," he told the king.

Asgore nodded. "I was wrong about you, human. You are indeed a shining example of your kind. I'm sorry."

The king brought his trident to bear, it swung down. Ryan closed his eyes, accepting the end, but he never felt any pain. Instead, a flash of heat washed over him.

He opened his eyes to see Asgore, hand still half to his face in guard, staring in shock towards the entrance to the hall. Ryan followed his gaze, and shock filled him as well.

A white furred monster stood in the entrance, fire radiating from her outstretched hand. Her eyes locked with his and she smiled.

"Toriel…" Ryan breathed.

The name barely escaped his lips before she had her arms wrapped around him. Her shoulders shook from sobs as she nearly crushed him in her embrace. "I did not think I would make it in time," she whispered. "I should have never let you out of my sight."

"Toriel…" He said again as his mind tried to work again. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I spent every day after you left worrying about you," the boss monster began, still holding him. "I heard nothing, and could not help but fear the worst. Finally, your friend convinced me to find you and bring you back. But the moment I left I felt something very wrong. I tried to get here as fast as possible." She pulled away at last, though regretfully, and looked around the hall, taking in its ruined state. "What on earth happened, my child?"

Ryan could not help but smile. It was as if the monster's presence had brought everything back to its proper place. A peace descended on him, and he held it close. "It's a long story," he told her. "But it's over now."

His friends stumbled as the shield holding them at bay fell. None of them approached however, they only stared at the newcomer with a mixture of emotions that varied between all of them.

She smiled down at him. "That is good to hear. I do not know what I would have done if our 'king' had made you into yet another mistake. It is not right to sacrifice someone simply to let someone leave here." She raised her voice loud enough for Asgore to hear the end of that. The king dropped his head in shame. "That is all I have ever tried to prevent… And as terrible as Asgore is, he deserves mercy too."

"Tori, I-" Asgore started, but Toriel spun around and gave him a venomous glare, cutting off his words.

"Do not 'Tori' me, you pathetic whelp," she spat, letting go of a thousand of pent up anger. "If you really wanted to free our kind, you could have gone through the barrier after you had gotten one soul then taken six souls from the humans and come back and freed everyone peacefully. But instead, you made everyone live in despair because you would rather wait here meekly hoping another human never comes." As she spoke, she approached him slowly; angrily waving a finger at him.

The king tried not to meet her gaze as she spoke. His mouth hung open as if he wished to deny what she said. But he sighed and said, "You're right, I am a miserable creature…But, can we at least try to start over?"

Toriel shook her head. "No, Asgore. I want nothing to do with you ever again."

Undyne was suddenly between the two of them, keeping them separated. "Alright," she said, "we don't need the two of you fighting now."

Toriel's gaze softened as she brought her attention to the warrior. Her ex-husband apparently forgotten. "Oh, hello," she said in greeting. "Are you perhaps one of Ryan's friends? It is nice to meet you. I am Toriel."

"Uh… yeah, I know, Your Majesty."

Toriel's eyebrows then drew into a line. "Actually, come to think of it, I believe I have met you before. Undyne, is not? The last time I saw you, you were barely as high as my knee!" She giggled, spawning an awkward chuckle from the guardswoman.

"Yeah, I guess it has been a long time, huh?"

The queen then turned to address some of the others. Undyne moved to say something to Asgore, who looked more distraught that Ryan would have thought possible for anyone.

Toriel stopped before Alphys first. "I seem to remember you as well. How is work at the lab going, Alphys?"

"I… I… uh…" The doctor stammered.

"I know. My presence must be a bit of a shock," the queen told her, "but we can get to all of that later. For now I am more interested in all of you." She regarded Whimsalot and Froggit. "I see you two were successful. I knew I could count on you."

The two monsters nodded. "Bringing him back was a little harder than we had expected, Your Majesty," Whimsalot told her, "You'll have to forgive us."

Her smile widened as she looked down at them. "Fret not, young ones. And please, Toriel is fine." Her eye then caught Snowy and MK who both looked like their mouths may have been permanently stuck open. "And who might you two be? More friends of Ryan's?"

"Y-yes," Snowy managed to say.

"The two of you look like you've been up to some mischief. I hope the human has not passed on his bad habits to you."

"Nuh uh!" MK said defensively, taking the bait. "We were trying to help. You should have seen it, it was so cool! Ryan was trying to be all dark and scary, and there were a bunch of explosions, and crazy fights, and everyone was flying everywhere, and I got to help, and-"

Snowy cut off the monster's excited tirade with a wing to the back of the head. "Will you ever learn when to shut up?" He asked his friend. MK looked ready to argue until he realized what he had said and looked at the floor in shame.

Toriel was glaring at Ryan, who suddenly wished he was somewhere else.

"I wouldn't pay much attention to them." Ayame said, taking the queen's attention. "You know kids and their overactive imaginations."

"Yes," Toriel said skeptically. "And I suppose it was imagination that caused all of the destruction around us as well?"

"I promise there is a perfectly good explanation for that," Ayame assured her, grinning awkwardly. "One I will think of later."

"Sans," Ryan heard Papyrus whisper to his brother. "Did Asgore shave and, you know, clone himself?"

"That's the queen, bro." Sans explained.

"Oh, I see… That still makes no sense."

Toriel then turned to Sans. "I recognize your voice as well. You were the one on the other side of the door."

The skeleton shrugged. "I guess so."

She turned then to Papyrus. "Then this must be your brother Papyrus. Hello, your brother has told me so much about you."

"Wowie!" Papyrus glowed. "I can't believe Asgore's clone knows who I am! This is the best day of my life!"

"Hey, Papyrus?" The queen smiled mischievously, "What does a skeleton tile his roof with?"

"Hmm…" Papyrus thought, "Snow proof tiles?"

"No, with shin-gles!" Toriel laughed and Sans chuckled as well. Meanwhile Papyrus just looked angry.

"I changed my mind," he said. "This is the worst day of my life!" Ryan could not help but smile as well.

"Come on, Asgore," Ryan heard Undyne saying, "It's going to be ok. There are plenty of fish in the sea."

"Y-y-yeah, Undyne's totally right about that fish thing," Alphys added. The doctor was now standing with the two of them. "Sometimes you just got to, uh… stop going after furry boss monsters and get to know a really cute fish?" The doctor's nervous voice was loud enough that it echoed through the hall. They all looked at her, confused. "W-what? I-it's a metaphor," she said quietly.

"Well, I think it's a good analogy." Undyne told her.

The two monsters looked at each other, and Ryan saw something between them. Apparently he was not the only one to see it either, for Ayame shouted, "Oh, will you two just kiss already? You're more obvious than Ryan was whenever he looked at Sallie."

Undyne glared at the Astigmatism. "Hey, shut up! You've got some nerve. Right, Alphys?" Alphys stared at nothing, her eyes the size of dinner plates. "Uh… Alphys?"

"No," she started, "she's right. Let's do it!"

Undyne looked shocked. Everyone else did as well, even Ayame. Ryan's smile only grew wider. There was a moment before it sunk in for Undyne that the doctor was being serious. "Well, uh… I guess?" The warrior said finally. Why not? If you want to, then…"

The two approached each other hesitantly. Before anything could happen, though, Toriel pushed herself between the two of them. "Wait! Not in front of the children."

They all turned to look at Snowy and MK. The two monsters simply looked confused.

"Oh, I don't think they care, come here!" Undyne pushed past Toriel and laid one on Alphys, picking her up off the ground as she did so. "I waited a long time to do that," she said when they finally broke apart."

"Me too," Alphys told her, half in a daze.

Everyone broke into playful laughter after that, and everything seemed to settle into a sense of familiarity that Ryan had almost forgotten. He stayed at the outside of the groups, content to watch everyone for a few precious moments.

Toriel eventually walked over to join him. "Well, it seems everything is all right," she said. "I guess I was wrong to fear. All I had ever hoped for was to be able to save any humans that fell down here, but you never needed saving."

"That's not true," Ryan told her. "You did save me. You did more for me than you'll ever know. Thank you, Toriel."

She smiled at him. "You've grown up." She left it at that, regarding the group again. Everyone seemed to be congratulating Undyne and Alphys. "I still hope you will return to the Ruins," Toriel added, "but it looks like you made a lot of great friends since you left. I understand if you will want to stay with them. Perhaps it is time I returned as well. More than a few monsters saw me on my way here. But it does not matter." The boss monster put a hand on Ryan's shoulder. "I am glad you were able to find happiness down here."

Ryan shook his head. "I was always happy down here," he told her. "I wish things could stay like this forever…"

The queen looked at him curiously. "You make it sound as if things will not. Is something the matter?"

For a moment he said nothing, and then shook his head again. "No, you're right. I'm just being pessimistic again." He forced a smile. Everything else could be dealt with later, he decided.

"Toriel," he said, stopping the monster as she began to step away from him. "About what I said before I left."

She held up a hand, forestalling anything further. "I would rather not," she told him. "I know you had the best of intentions, but I think that matter should remain unspoken, at least here."

"Oh? You don't want to hear about his dark secret?" A new voice suddenly echoed through the hall, catching everyone's attention. Ryan felt his blood run cold.

_No…_ he thought.

Suddenly, vines shot out from the walls and the ground. They covered everything, tangling themselves around everyone and every surface. "No!" Ryan said aloud as he struggled to free himself, but one again he felt he power being drained from him. Panic began to seep in.

His friends fought to get free as well, but their struggles were equally as useless. The vines had them trapped. Laugher filled the room, a sick, twisted laugh.

"You idiots!" a voice said through the laughter. Flowey then grew out of the vines in the center of the room. His gaze turned to Ryan. "You can't get rid of me that easily. I may have lost control of this story for the moment, but the six human souls are still mine. And with yours that power will become mine again." Ryan stopped struggling against his binds. He felt all of the hope and peace he had gained back leave him. He was right, it had all been pointless. Still, he glared at the flower, meeting his gaze unwaveringly.

The flower seemed to notice. "Oh? So there's still a bit of defiance in you after all? That's fine. All of your friends are mine now, so they can't hurt you anymore. I think I'll take their souls as well. That way you can each feel the others' agony. Maybe then you'll stop foolishly resisting me."

He then drew closer to Ryan, his next words for him alone. "How does it feel, knowing that it's all your fault? It's all because you made them love you that they continue to suffer. All the time you spent with them, encouraging them, caring about them, without that, they wouldn't have come here. And now, with their souls and the humans' together, I will finally achieve my goal."

Ryan knew the flower was right, but with his friends in trouble right in front of him, he could not make himself submit, could not help but feel there was something he could do. He resumed his struggles against the vines.

"You should have just killed me when you had the chance." Flowey hissed. "If you had, you could've won this little game. But now, I am in control. And I won't let you win. I won't even let you stop playing. This game between us will never end. I'll hold victory just within your grasp, let you taste it, and then tear it away just before you grasp it. Over, and over, and over. Until you finally learn." The flower broke into laughter once more. From behind the flower, more vines grew out of the ground and angled themselves toward Ryan. They shot out, faster than he could blink, aiming to pierce his body. But they never hit. A wall of fire sprang up in front of him and incinerated the vines. The flower blinked. "What?"

"Do not be afraid, my child." Came Toriel's strangled voice. "No matter what happens we will always be there for you." Ryan looked back at monster in disbelief. Then the realization came to me. She did not know what was going on, and therefore she could still fight.

Flowey tried to attack him again, but this time a wall of bone blocked the attack and hundreds of spears pinned the vines to the ground.

"That's right, Ryan." Papyrus added, "You can win. Just do what I would do: believe in you."

"Hey! If you can get past me, you can do anything!" Undyne shouted at him. "So don't worry, we're with you all the way."

"Huh, you haven't beaten this guy yet?" Sans said. "Come on, this weirdo's got nothing on you."

More attacks came, again they were blocked.

"Technically speaking, if he really does have the souls, it's impossible for you to beat him… But somehow, I know you can do it."

"Human," Asgore said. "For the future of both out races, you have to stay determined."

Flowey wrapped vines around their heads, silencing them. "Now, where were we?"

The flower turned to the side as a halberd flew past him. "Well this was more than I was expecting to find up here," a voice said from behind Ryan. He could not turn his head to see, but he knew who the voice belonged to. Karim stepped between Ryan and the flower, pulling his weapon from the ground. "You're just a magnet for the weird, aren't you?" the dragon said over his shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" Ryan asked the guardsman.

"I could see that light coming from the castle all the way from the other side of the city. So I figured it would be a good idea to check it out. Good thing I did too. You seem to be in a bit of a bind." He smirked, but Ryan could not return the gesture.

"You have to get out of here," he told him.

The monster rolled his eyes. "Now, I know I don't necessarily owe you my life or anything, but I did have a hell of a time sparing with you while you were in the city. It would be a shame to lose you before I could settle the score."

"More interlopers?" Flowey growled, tearing the two of them from their conversation. "No matter, I'll just take you as well."

Vines reached out to grab Karim, but they were burned away. "Sorry, but I'll have to turn down that offer. I'm afraid I'm already happily married."

While he was talking, more vines wrapped around his feet. They tossed him aside before he could react, sending him flying towards the wall. Another form caught him. A figure in black armor hit the ground with Karim, keeping them both on their feet. Another armored figure stepped between them defensively a moment later. "Nice catch 02!" the one said.

"Where are all of you coming from?" Flowey demanded.

"Well, darling," another voice said as it joined them in the room. "We can hardly have the show's second biggest star lose right before the climax, now can we?" Mettaton strutted around the flower, heedless of any danger. "So of course we have to come to his rescue." Flowey grit his teeth.

The flower tried to attack each of them, but once more it was stopped, this time by webs that shot from the ceiling. Muffet lowered herself down on a swing made from the same webs. "I'm afraid I can't let you have the human, dearie. He still owes me quite a large debt. Unless of course you're willing to pick it up?"

The rest of the monster began to form a line between the human and the flower.

"Shut up!" Flowey screamed. "How dare any of you defy me? I am your God!"

Another monster joined the pack in Ryan's defense. Hiroshi, Ayame's father, cleared his throat before speaking. "I'm afraid the only one who rules over us are the king and queen, and, in their absence, myself. And we will not accept any others. Isn't that right?"

A chorus of voices acknowledged his question, more than those who stood before him. The room began to flood with monsters. They attacked the vines, tearing them, or burning them, or doing anything they could to rid the castle of the flower's presence.

Flowey stared at the mob in disbelief. Ryan did as well. Some of the monsters that had come to his rescue he did not even recognize, and yet there they were. Ryan felt hope swell within them once more.

Flowey continued to stare out at those who sought to destroy him. "No, no, no!" the flower shouted. "Unbelievable! This can't be happening… You… you… idiots." His anger turned into laughter once more. "You're all so stupid!"

Time froze. Everyone in the room hung where they were. Only Ryan and the Flower were still aware of what was going on. "All of your souls are mine!" Flowey said victoriously.

A sound cut the flower's celebration short. It took even Ryan a moment to realize it was his own laughter he was hearing. "And what, exactly, do you find so funny?"

"Don't you see?" Ryan said, grinning from ear to ear. "The only idiot here is you."

The flower's expression darkened. "We'll see about that."

Ryan suddenly became blinded by light. He shut his eyes against it, but even then it was still too bright. Slowly, the light faded. When it was gone, Ryan was no longer bound. Everyone was gone. Toriel, Sans, even Flowey. Only one other figure stood in the room with him. The monster was covered in short, white fur. It almost as tall as Ryan. Horns grew from the top of its head and curved over it. It wore robes similar to those Toriel wore, a long cape cascaded off of his shoulders, almost touching the floor. It had its back to Ryan. It slowly raised a hand to its face and opened and closed it a few times as if to make sure it would. "Finally," the monster said, "I was so tired of being a flower…"

It turned to face him. Its eyes were white disks surrounded by pools of black. The shadows continued to grow in cracks that surrounded his eyes. More cracks crept up his neck, like his body threatened to break apart at any moment. The monster stared back at him, and Ryan smiled despite himself. "Well, if it isn't my best friend," he said as he rose to his feet. Power and determination surged within him. "Asriel Dreemurr."

"This is the end," The Prince of Monsters declared.

"No." Ryan gripped the amulet around his neck, feeling a warmth emanate from it. There was still hope. Even after everything the chance he had waited so long for was right in front of him. "This is only the beginning." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And finally, we are here. And it only took nearly 18 months to get there. I don't really know what to say at this point, so I'll wait to see what you guys have to say.
> 
> I would, however, like to give a big thanks to TC-96 – who resides primarily on deviantArt, for those who don't know who I'm referring to – for being the one responsible for sparking the idea that made this bit a lot more interesting than it was originally going to be (and also a hell of a lot longer).


	59. Our Demons, Hopes, and Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this one certainly got done faster huh? I wouldn't count on it staying like that though because, as of yesterday, due to a sudden spur of inspiration, I've started splitting my attention between this and what I plan on doing next, which is sort of good because that way there will be a bit less of a gap between the two once this is done.
> 
> I will say nothing about what I'm working on next. Don't even try.
> 
> Moving on, this chapter is named after the last of the three songs that I implore you to listen to: Our Demons, by Glitch Mob. And I will reinforce that this time around.  
> Please, listen to it.  
> This story would not exist this day if not for this song; I probably would have given up half way through, to be completely honest. The very first time I heard this song, this was the fight I saw in my mind, and it has since been one of the main sources of inspiration that has allowed me to get this story done. And in my opinion, it fits perfectly. Not listening to it would be a disservice to you, your family, any pets you might have, that cashier at the grocery store that you just know is judging more than they have any right to, that crush you had in middle school that you somehow worked up the courage to say something to but it came out strangled and you thought they would hate you because you're an embarrassment but they just sort of giggle and smile and you keep talking on occasion but it never really goes anywhere and neither of you bring it up again, etc.  
> So do that.
> 
> What was I talking about?  
> Oh yeah, story.

* * *

"I'm surprised you still have the will to stand," Asriel said to Ryan as he sneered at him from across the hall. Black vapor poured off of the monster's body from the cracks in his skin, lending power to the sinister look. He still looked young, despite have acquired the body of an adult. His voice was higher than Ryan had expected. A mix somewhere between his father's and his mother's, but it did not take away from the Prince's stature in the slightest. He looked regal, like a king; like he was meant to rule the world and everything in it.

Ryan took in every detail the impossibility in front of him. He burned the moment into his mind, a moment he had been certain would never happen, yet there they both stood. And in that moment he realized he felt content. For an instant, he did not care what happened next. He could fail and still be satisfied at having made it as far as he had, to be able to even look upon the monster before him. He shook the feeling away, pushing it aside. He could not let it end here, not now.

"I suppose this is what you wanted, though," the prince went on. "Me, standing before you as I once was." The monster gestured with his arms as he spoke, as if to make sure he still could. "It only took the death of all your friends and every single monster to bring it about. So tell me, is it as satisfying as you hoped?"

"I thought you'd be taller," Ryan answered.

An uproarious laugh sprung from the monster's lips. "Where do you find the willpower?" he barked. The smirk was gone for his face and anger now twisted his features, the effect heightened by the light-sapping black of his eyes. Ryan would have almost said he could feel himself physically being beaten down under that gaze.

The human shrugged. "It might just be that I'm crazy. You'd know better than me." The monster let out a growl, baring a set of sharp teeth. Then it was Ryan's turn to smirk. "Could also be that I'm just excited."

Asriel managed to bury his anger, hiding behind a snide look once more. "My brother was right about humans. They are strange indeed. They refuse to realize when they are at the point of their demise. Refuse to admit when they are powerless." Swords sprung to life in the monsters hands. The ornate weapons seemed to gleam with a spectrum of color every time they moved. Ryan summoned his own in response, reaching behind his back as if pulling them from a sheath. Asriel regarded him flatly. "So then, you continue to resist me, even now. It seems I was not as successful at breaking you as I thought. No matter, I will enjoy trying again."

"You can't break me, not anymore," Ryan told him.

"We shall see about that."

The two began to circle each other, waiting for the other to strike. Asriel moved as if he were floating, robes skirting along the ground. Ryan felt graceless in comparison. Then again, he had never really cared about the sort of thing before. He was not sure why he did then.

"You are right about one thing though," he said, "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time."

They charged each other, spring forwards at the exact same moment. Time seemed to slow as they looked in each other's eyes. Ryan searched them, and found nothing. Their weapons clashed, and the castle exploded around them. The floor caved in, glass shattered and stone walls erupted outward with the force of their single strike, and a panoramic of the city replaced the once beautiful hall.

Neither even noticed. They snapped apart a moment later faster than any mortal eye could follow. Points of light burst into existence around Asriel. Beams of pure energy shot from each of the points, they flew out in every direction, then suddenly turned and converged on where Ryan stood. He dodged as the beams tore through the floor, ripping another part from the castle to fall down below.

Ryan was then before the monster again. He struck, but was blocked as the monster's arm seemed to warp into position. A torrent of destruction formed behind the prince as physics responded to the human's power, but the monster himself did not even flinch at the blow.

Then he was gone. Ryan spun as he felt the monster pop back into existence behind him. He turned away the sword and lightning shot from his hand. Asriel flashed away, and Ryan struck out with his own sword, an arc of fire flew out at the monster. The attack seemed to melt around him. Ryan cursed to himself.

The space around Asriel began to warp before a number of long cylinders appeared around him. A hail of fire burst from them like a wall of machine guns. He zipped through the hall, dodging whatever projectiles he could and blocking with shields those he could not. He got in close once again, jumping in from above. There swords clashed, and more of the castle fell away in the aftermath. The guns, still in the air, turned on them, this time letting out solid columns of energy. They tore at Ryan's shield, but it held, barely.

The Prince of Monsters smirked up at him. He had yet to look like had exerted any effort at all. "You know," he spoke up suddenly. "I don't really care about destroying this world anymore. After I defeat you and regain control, I think I'll simply reset everything; bring it all back to zero. That way we can do all of this over again, and I can try something different."

Ryan brought his other sword down, cutting the monster off. A rainbow of fire tossed him away. As Ryan got back to his feet, he found the prince waiting for his next move. "Why?" Ryan asked. "What's the point of going back after all of this?"

The monster scowled at him. "There is no point, you idiot. I simply haven't had my fun with you yet."

Ryan shook his head. "No, you have a reason." His response was met with a bolt of lightning that sprung from the monster's hand.

"You think you know everything about me because of that little game of yours?" Asriel snarled. "Haven't I already proved to you once just how wrong you are?" The prince let go of his swords and they hung in the air next to him. He spread his arms wide. "I know you must have been expecting me to come before you like this. You were hoping I would use this power to restore myself as I once was. But I have achieved the power of a god. I could become whatever I wanted, so why become this?" He gestured to himself.

"On the day that my brother died and I took his soul to go to the surface, _this_ is what I became. And even back then, it felt right, like this was what I was always meant to be. But I have more reason than that. It was precisely _because_ this is what you wanted that I came back like this. Now, the face of the very monster you tried so desperately to save will be able to smile and laugh while he destroys you. It's a delicious cruelty, is it not?"

"I never noticed this before, but you honestly sound like you're trying too hard to be a super villain," Ryan commented. "Why don't you just admit the real reason? You're not doing this for kicks. You're doing this because you gave up."

The monster glared at him. "Believe what you want," he said. "It changes nothing."

"That's mine line." Stone chips were tossed into the air as Ryan sprung back into motion. He circled around the monster, knowing there was little hope in trying to flank him, but simply gaining momentum had its own benefits. More beads of light began to fill the room as he ran. That time, they resolved themselves into crystalline stars, shimmering with the same rainbow light that enveloped all of the monster's other attacks. One by one, they exploded, filling the air with a thunderous roar.

Instead of slowing down in response, Ryan moved faster, using the concussive force to propel him into the air. He flew down at the prince, swinging his sword. It hit nothing but air. The monster had stepped to the side without appearing to move at all. He swung again and missed. Over and over, Asriel dodged at the very last moment, toying with him.

A final strike collided with the monster's weapon again at last, and Ryan could see it was completely of the monster's will. With a thought, lightning began to build around him. Electricity began to build around the prince as well. They sprung away from one another and their lightning shot out. The bolts collided in the air, canceling each other in a burst of prismatic light.

As the chaos faded, Asriel jumped through the ozone fueled air. He swung at Ryan who managed to dodge by the narrowest of margins. The monster's other hand came up to backhand him across the face, sending Ryan sprawling. As he got to his feet again, the monster was already before him again. "This is pointless," the monster said flatly. His sword swung down Ryan crossed his arms a brought up as large a shield he could manage to block, but the attack still sent him flying back. "I have the power of a god!" he shouted, "and you think you can stop me? No. You're going to lose, just as you always have. So why not just give up?"

"Because I made a promise, and I'm going to do my best to see it through until I'm dead."

"I can gladly arrange that,"

"We'll see."

Ryan drew upon whatever source of energy his power allowed him to access, drew deeper than he ever had before. He felt his fatigue wash away as the power filled him. Red mist began to pour off of his skin. Then he drew from another source as well, not as deeply as he had in his fight with Asgore, but immediately it felt as though reality shifted around him. Something in him changed, he was not sure what, but he knew it would allow him to do more than he ever could before.

Asriel came at him. Ryan turned away the strike with his own sword and retaliated. This time as the castle continued to be demolished around them the monster's arm was pushed back ever so slightly by the blow. His eyes went wide.

Ryan initiated a barrage of attacks. They worked to keep the monster overwhelmed. Suddenly Ryan spun. His foot came up to kick the monster in his chest. He staggered back, but Ryan would not give him a moment to recover. His fist crashed into the side of his head and the next took him by the jaw from below.

The monster managed to keep his footing. He sent out a wash of fire and lightning, but Ryan was able to bring up a shield much faster than he normally could and the magic slid off of him. He continued his attacks, until a concussive force successfully knocked him away.

Asriel looked up at him seething with rage. Ryan charged at him again. Before another strike could land, another force hit him, this time knocking into the air. He shot away from the ruined upper levels of the castle and flew over the city below. He crashed into the side of building, toppling half of it to the ground, but it did little to hinder him. Digging himself free, he put all of his strength into his legs as he leapt back towards the castle, but the prince was already waiting for him. They collided in the air, and Ryan was knocked to the ground once more. He immediately shot back up. The monster caught his fist in his own before it could connect with his face. Then Ryan caught the monster's return strike in his own hand. In the wake of the impasse, they crashed their heads together, each refusing to let up to the other.

They tore away from each other. Ryan fell back to the city as Asriel just seemed to float above it. "Die!" He shouted as lines of light shot out from all around him. They tore through the city. Ryan blocked those that came at him. Tying off the shield as he hit the ground, he drew deeper from the other power. His body began to burn with it and he knew he was reaching his limit. His eyes sharpened, and he could just make out the monster through the airborne debris. He fired back a beam of his own. It looked like it had hit. He jumped up to the roof of the building and found Asriel staring down at him.

"Well, you really are something special," he said. "But don't get cocky. You have yet to even see my true power."

"Why?" Ryan asked again during the pause. The monster looked down at him curiously. "You have the power you sought," he went on. "Why use it to just toy with me?"

"What else would I use it for?" The prince shot back. "I've already explained to you that this life has become dreadfully dull to me. It has been so hard to feel _anything_ since I became a flower, and since you seem so adamant in being a nuisance, I'll keep playing with you until I've had my fill. Anything else is as senseless as your resistance of me."

"You're not a flower anymore," Ryan stated.

"Nor am I the monster I was before." The monster's form shifted, as if for a moment it threatened to break apart. "I am something far greater."

"You believe that everyone deserves to be toyed with because they all have the potential to be just as bad as you, but you're wrong," Ryan told the prince. "Maybe everyone has the potential to be cruel, but it was only because of your hand that that potential became a reality. There are very few people in this world who make it to that point without some sort of reason, some sort of outside force pushing them towards it. Someone could just as easily guide them in the other direction. You did it yourself, in the beginning."

"You're right, and I realized it's just as pointless as everything else."

"It's not pointless, and I think you don't even really believe that it is. You've just been doing this for so long that you've forgotten how to do anything else, that you've convinced yourself there's no other way to live, that there's no way back. Well there is a way back. Let go of this endless loop, Asriel. Use your power to help make people better."

"You make it sound so easy!" The prince roared down at him. "You think you have me all figured out. You have no idea what I've been through!"

"I do know what you've been through. You put me through the same yourself. And yet, here I am, fighting for something better. You still can too."

"Shut up!" the monster shouted. "I am the one with the power to decide the fate of this world. You and your words mean nothing."

Lights sprung up around the monster once more. Lightning wreathed his floating form. The built up energy shout out from him as he roared, tearing through city. Buildings fell a sections of them were rendered to nothing by beams of rainbow light. Parks caught fire by lightning. Chunks of rock fell from the ceiling above.

In the monster's rage, Ryan bounded up to him. The prince did not see him approach. Ryan readied a strike and the monster snapped back to his attention. A sword appeared in his hand that he swung at the human. Ryan caught the hand that held it and swung his fist into the side of the monster's jaw. He pushed the monster down beneath him and let him go. Asriel had just enough time to turn before Ryan's heel crashed into the top of his head and the monster rocketed down to the ground.

He hit with the force of a bomb. Stone and dirt flew up into the air like a splash of water from something massive being tossed into a puddle. The whole cavern shook as the dust and earth spun in the air. Cracks split streets and fissures collapsed yet more buildings.

Ryan landed on one of the few still standing in that part of the city. He sent out a gust of air to scatter the dust. Before him was now a massive crater, easily hundreds of feet wide. The edge nearly reaching the wall of the castle. Asriel was nowhere to be seen inside of it. In the center instead was a spot of pure black. As Ryan spied it, he noticed that it seemed to be growing, and quickly.

The ground began to shake once more. The spot of black grew to fill the whole crater then began to bulge out of it. Dark lightning arced from the hemisphere kicking up more stone. Ryan struggled to keep his feet as the shaking grew worse. The air whipped around him with the force of a hurricane. Spots of white began to appear on the surface of whatever filled the crater, bright enough that Ryan had to shield his eyes. Then, the whole thing shot into the air.

It began to resolve itself. The white began to gather around a spot of black in the shape of a heart at the center. It then shot out to the sides forming the vague shape of arms. More of the light poured out of the top, forming head like a twisted version of Asriel's own. Blank white eyes stared down at him as his mouth spit into a demonic, pointed-tooth grin. The rest of the energy coalesced around him, forming wings that seemed to be windows to something beyond reality. Ryan could see stars and galaxies swirling in their form; a whole different universe, one twisted to the prince's vision of it.

The thing was massive. It towered over Ryan and what remained of the city. Looking at it made his vision swirl, disorienting him. Ryan took a step back involuntarily. The creature saw this and let out a roar of laughter. The laugh shook the cavern more than its birth did. "Do you finally see?" it boomed. "Have you realized just how useless your struggle is, how insignificant you are?"

Ryan could feel fear beginning to creep up on him. He pushed it back down and sprang into action, knowing that if he stayed still too long he would not be able to keep going.

He shot up towards the creature's head, easily twice as tall as he was, but the monster raised his hand. Light built within it. A thousand bolts of pure energy in shape of balls of fire shot at Ryan. A shield did little to stop them and he was knocked back to the ground. The shower continued to fall, eventually Ryan's shield fell and he had to dodge, lest the energy tear through him. A few still managed to hit, searing his shoulder and his side. The pain was excruciating, but he bit it back.

The smoke from the barrage faded quickly and Ryan saw the monster staring down at him. "Still you're hanging on?" he bellowed. "Fine. Soon you'll die and forget everything. That attitude will serve you well in the next life."

Ryan grit his teeth and readied himself for another attempt, but he stumbled before he could set off. He looked down at his side and saw that the burn wound he had suffered was still there, leaking blood into his surrounding shirt. He had gotten so used to his hastened healing that the sight shocked him. It did not even look like it was healing at all.

The monster must have seen his confusion, for he laughed once more. "That's right," he said, "Did you forget what you fought against already? I won't let your pathetic abilities drag out your demise any longer."

Now aware of the wounds, Ryan struggled with the pain of them. Pain had been so temporary for him that its persistence nearly consumed his capacity to focus on anything else. He fought to think, to not let dread consume him. There had to be a way to win, there had to be a way to convince the prince to stop this! But he had tried to argue and it did nothing. Was he wrong? Was the monster truly insane? Had it all been useless after all?

He looked up at the God-Prince through tear filled eyes. Once again, his vision began to swim as he stared at him and his feeling of dread increased. He tried to look away, but this time images began to resolve themselves within the twists of his perception.

Ryan saw a child, face down on the ground. He saw the same child being carried in his arms, then huddled in a corner, then walking at his side, the hint of a smile on their lips and a buried sorrow in their crimson eyes. He saw the child standing over a monster, knife in hand and rage in their eye. He saw the child with tears and regret in those same eyes. He saw the child playing in a field of golden flowers, laughing and twirling in the light of the setting sun. He saw the child under covers in a bed, eyes with barely the strength to stay open and knew that they were dying.

The images faded, and the story formed itself Ryan's mind. The child was Chara, seen through Asriel's own eyes. He had felt the young monster's pain in those memories, but why was he seeing them? Could it be that the monster's own thoughts were pressing down on him like the sense of dread that he felt coming off of him? If so, then why? Why think about that now?

Did that mean there was still a chance, that his emotions were returning? Then, he saw something in the center of the Prince's form. He blinked away tears to try to see it. It looked like the body of a small child, legs tucked into its chest.

Suddenly, he knew what to do. Ryan bit back his pain and his doubt once again and ran towards the monster. Another shower of energy fell upon him. He dodged as he jumped into the air. A few grazed him, but he ignored them, trying to reach the figure he had seen.

Finally one hit him directly and he spun back to the ground. Ryan struggled back to his feet. The monster might be able to stop him from healing, but his body was still strengthened from his enhancement magic, and so he could still take more punishment than most. He tried again, and again was knocked back. There were just too many to dodge. He couldn't find an opening.

His repeated defeat only made him more determined. He was not about to give up now, not when he was so close. He jumped again, making it closer, but not close enough. Each time he fell, it was harder to get back up. His body only had so much that could break before it did not matter how much he struggled. If he could not move, then there was nothing he could do.

Was that it then? Was that really the end of it? Was there really nothing he could do? Was this the closest he would come?

Ryan felt the amulet he had taken from the castle burn against the light of his soul, and he found the strength for one last try. He shot up into the air. He dodged bolt after bolt of lightning and energy. The center of the monster's body drew closer and closer, closer than he had made it before. He reached out with his hand. He could almost grab him!

A shadow fell over him. He looked up to see the monster's triumphant grin before a hand the side of a city block collided with him. Asriel hit with the force of a meteor, and Ryan flew across the city. The next thing he knew he hit the rock. There was no pain. His body had already been too destroyed by that point to feel anything. Everything was dark. His thoughts felt thick. A part of his mind knew he had to get up, but he could not remember why. He was suddenly very tired, yet for some reason he fought against his drowsiness, trying to focus. His vision returned for a moment, and he was met with the sight of Asriel roaring with laughter in his bestial form. A thought skirted over top his mind. _I have to keep my promise._

Promise? What promise? He was so tired.

Finally the darkness took him. Somehow, that felt wrong, but he did not care anymore.

 

Ryan saw a white light, and his mind struggled to focus on it. The light was weak and very far away, yet it called to him. He tried to reach for it, but he could not move, so he gave up. Then, he thought he heard a voice that he recognized coming from it. He tried to reach the light again. This time, somehow, he did. The light grew, surrounding him, consuming him. Ryan tried to shut his eyes to keep out the light, but he did not have eye to shut.

As the light faded, he stood in an abyss, absolutely nothing around him. He looked down. Despite the lack of light, he could see himself perfectly. He was surprised to see he was uninjured, though he could not figure out why that surprised him.

"This for your own good," he heard a voice say. He looked up, a figure stood before him in purple robes. The face was obscured, blurry. Ryan could not remember who it was, but he thought he remembered the voice.

Unafraid, he went up to the figure, putting his arms around her. "It's alright," he said. "I'll see you again soon." He was not sure why he did it, it just felt right.

"No one will leave again." The voice seemed to come not from the figure, but from everywhere at once. Ryan felt like he could almost put a name to the voice. If he could only reach out to it somehow. If only he could remember…

A thought came unbidden to his mind: a memory an ancient city and a cozy home, of a time spent learning and healing.

Suddenly he remembered. "Toriel…" he said to the figure. Its face was no longer blurred. It was indeed Toriel that stood before him.

She wrapped her arms around him, returning the hug. "Be safe, my child," she said, and then she faded away.

"Forgive me for this…" another voice came. Ryan spun around. Another figure stood behind him, its face also blurred. Once again, Ryan did not recognize it, but he felt like he had heard the voice somewhere before. From the air, it drew a trident, red as blood.

Ryan stood ready to fight. "I will show you that there is a better way!" he shouted at the figure. He was not sure why.

"This is my duty," the figure said as if he had not heard him. "I will do anything for my people."

"Your… people…?" Ryan tried to remember. Why was he here? What was he doing? Then, he membered. "Your son…" he whispered. The figure froze. "I'm going to save your son, Asgore!" Ryan's eyes held the promise like a sword poised before him.

The figure's face resolved. Asgore let his trident drop and nodded. "I don't know why, human, but I believe you." Then the king faded away as well.

Bits were coming back him. They floated in his mind; his goal, his promise. Ryan still did not know where he was or how to get out, only that he needed to. "I _will_ save him," he whispered to himself.

"You hate me, don't you?" came another voice. He turned to another figure, hunched over in shame. Once more, Ryan could not make out a face or remember who it was. "I've got to keep lying…"

Something about those words tugged at him. But why? All he knew was he had to save Asriel. Then why did he want to help this monster so badly? Then, his memories, his life, came flooding back.

"No," he told the figure, "you need be honest with yourself."

The blurry face looked up at him. "Why?"

"Because I'm going to be here for you, Alphys. Everyone will be."

Alphys nodded, her face becoming clear to him once more. She smiled, trust shining in her eyes.

"Everyone…" Ryan said again. Suddenly, they were all standing before him. Sans, Papyrus, Alphys, and Undyne, Ayame, Snowy. Even Sallie and Ruby, their backs turned to him though smiles curled their lips. Ryan smiled back at them. "My friends."

"We're with you all the way, kid." Sans winked at him.

"That is right!" his brother agreed. "Let Papyrus's friendship lead you to victory!"

"I always knew you were the strongest," Snowy told him. "I knew you could do anything."

"Froggit and I have your back too," Whimsalot said. "We all do, remember that. No matter what, you'll always have us."

Ryan's smile grew wider. "That's right," he said. "It's not just Asriel. I need to save everyone, otherwise there's no point." Something in his chest started to glow and he looked down. It was his soul, in the shape of a heart as it always had been. It had been so long he had he had grown used to the sight. He remembered how strange it seemed to him in the beginning. Now that thought seemed foolish. This was how it was always meant to be. This may have been a game once, but it was real enough for him. It was time he stopped denying that fact, time he stopped believing that this was not his life to live, and give this story and ending that did the game justice. "But… how?" he said aloud.

He looked to his friends, who continued to smile back at him.

"You already have all the pieces," Undyne said to him. "Now you just need to put them together."

Ryan did not understand. He felt clueless. He had no idea how to save Asriel and everyone else. It felt like that choice was still all there was, even after everything.

Toriel then put a hand on his shoulder. "You and my son are very much alike, I have come to realize," she told him. "You both will do anything to do what is right, but that mindset has the potential to be very dangerous. It is very easy to fall from the light you chased after, and even harder to come back."

Ryan took in the words, but they did not give him any answers. _You both are very much alike. You will do anything to do what is right._ What is right…

Asriel had told him that he had done the things he had done because he had grown to feel it was all pointless, but was that true, or was their simply more to it? Was he trying to do something as well?

_You both are very much alike._

_I'm going to save your son!_

_Chara was the only one I was never able to understand._

The last thought did not come from him, it came from somewhere else, from within wherever it was they all were.

Suddenly, it all snapped together, and he finally understood what he had to do. He raised his head. His friends all nodded to him, and he nodded back.

"Now, go get him," Sans said.

His friends all turned into light and seemed to swirl into him. His soul continued to glow, brighter and brighter. His heart felt like it was on fire. The fire spread throughout his body, consuming him, empowering him. Then, he woke up.

 

Asriel laughed manically, looking down where the human lay, buried in the rock. He had done it, somehow he knew. He had broken the human. He had won! But it was not over yet. Now they could do it all again and again. "That's right," he said aloud as he flew over to the human. "Our playtime has just begun."

The monster found himself blinded as a pillar of light exploded into the air. He turned away. A shockwave forced him back, and his own shock nearly let himself be swept up by it.

As the light faded, he could see a figure at its base. Anger mixed with shock and the monster nearly gasped. "No!" he roared.

The light winked away, and Ryan stood where it had been. He stepped away from the hole in the wall of the cavern where had fallen. There was not a scratch on him. The white light continued to coil off of him like mist. The red of his eyes shined brighter than they ever had before. Asriel could feel the power radiating from him.

"How?" he roared in defiance. "How is this possible?"

The human smiled up at him. There was not a hint of the doubt he had seen in him before. It was as if he had already won. "It's simple really," he began. He looked down at his hand, watching the light pour off of it. "I had forgotten what this story was supposed to teach you, about determination, about love, and about what it means to be human." He looked back up at the prince, his grin becoming even wider. "But now I remember."

Asriel had heard enough. He sent out countless bolts of energy at the human.

Ryan swept his arm out before him and beams of energy shot out from around him as well. They collided with each other, and the air between them exploded with the clashing power of gods. Asriel stared at it in disbelief.

"Now," the human went on. "I'm going to help you remember what it means to be a monster."

Asriel screamed in rage. This could not happen! "It doesn't matter how many times you get back up," he said aloud. "You're still too late to beat me. I have far more power than you! In the end, it will be the same." He reached out around him and the ruins of the city rose into the air. Fallen buildings, trees, and huge chunks of stone filled the cavern. The human did not even twitch. "Show me what good your determination is now!" he cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha! Cliffhanger! Deal with it!  
> No, but in all seriousness, I intended this to be two parts from the very beginning. It's mainly just for pacing reasons. But yeah! Hopefully I can get the next half out just as quick as this.
> 
> See you then.


	60. If I Were

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3:40

The city was thrown at Ryan. Whole buildings, chunks of stone easily a dozen times his size, trees and more rained down upon him. It might as well have been leaves in the wind.

Power surged within him, power greater than even what he had experienced at the end of his fight with Asgore. He did not understand where it came from, no more than he understood where his own power came from, but he innately felt as though he knew how to use it. Thus, as the ruins of the city came hurtling towards him, they began to disintegrate, to fall away to nothing as they drew near. What remained, that which bore no threat, fell around him like a meteor shower, kicking up clots of dirt and further debris. He started walking forward.

"No!" Asriel continued to roar in defiance. The feeling of dread Ryan had gotten from looking at the monsters bestial form was gone now. "I have the power of the souls! How can you be doing this?" The cavern became filled once more, this time with a countless number of weapons. Ryan found that he could make out the details of each individual one. All were incredibly ornate, looking to be carved from gold and mother of pearl. No two were alike. In a hail, they shot at him, and in an instant Ryan was standing in another part of the city. The street exploded outwards in response to his arrival, but he reached out and settled the buildings back where they had been. Furniture flew back into place, cracks sealed as if time flowed in reverse, glass reformed. Meanwhile where he had once been was torn to a state beyond saving. It took a moment for Asriel to notice where Ryan now was, and when he did his rage was dulled by a different emotion.

Ryan ignored the monster's previous question as he resumed his walk. "I realized something," he began. "Despite what you said, I still couldn't figure out why you were toying with me." Two of the buildings lining the street flew towards its center, attempting to crush Ryan between them. The buildings collapsed in on themselves as the moved, compressing down to the size of an apple. Ryan brought these to float over his hand, spinning slowly around one another. "If you had the power you claim," he went on, "to start over and wipe my memories, what's the point of trying to prove me wrong?"

Asriel sent another wave of fireballs at him, trying to cut him off. As they neared, Ryan simply disappeared and reappeared on the other side of them, and the spell crashed into the ground uselessly. Backlit by the explosion, all the monster could see was the determination in human's eyes, working to infuriate him even further. He reached out over the city with a massive hand in an attempt to crush him.

The hand slammed down, and stone parted like sand. The monster smirked to himself before a spike of ice shot up through his palm. Asriel pulled back more in shock than in pain. Ryan stood where he had, unharmed, and the next thing he knew the human was in his face, white light gathering in the palm of his outstretched hand.

"Was it simply your own ego?" he continued as he looked down at the monster. "No. It was something else."

New images began to flood into Ryan's mind, images he could identify immediately this time. Asriel standing on the surface, Chara's body clutched in his arms, humans surrounding him, pinning him beneath malevolent looks. Asriel and Chara in a field, fighting with a ferocity that was shocking coming from ones so young. Asriel severing some sort of tie between them, before the world surrounding them seemed to melt. With each of these images came regret, a regret that was not his own but one that he understood. He looked at the monster, and no longer did he look powerful or confident. He was struggling, almost desperately, and finally Ryan understood why.

He let the gathered energy in his hand lose. Asriel continued to stare, dumbfounded, as the attack hit. The monster evaporated, disappearing in a puff black smoke that pulled away from the beam. For a moment Ryan thought he had gone too far, but the smoke lingered as he fell back to the roof of a still standing building. The dark cloud seethed in place for a moment before gathering closer. It shot back to the center of the city before reforming back into the titanic giant once more. Shock had once again been replaced by rage. The monster's eyes literally burned with it.

"I will not come this close," the monster boomed, "to have everything ripped away from me!" He reached out to claw at the human, but his arms were brought up short, as if invisible hands caught them.

"Funny," Ryan said back to him. "I could say the exact same thing."

Asriel's rage reached its peak as he pulled his arms back. Light gathered in the sphere that made up the monster's body. He brought his hands up to it. It continued to grow, to build, until the light consumed the monster. With one last roar, he threw the power at the human.

Ryan watched the attack cross the city, a tide of rainbow light, blindingly brilliant. He clutched the amulet around his neck. He did not dodge. He did not raise a defense. He simply let it wash over him.

The attack destroyed what remained of the city. What was left of buildings was vaporized in the tide of heat if they were not simply destroyed by the shockwaves. The beautifully designed parks burned, the entire cavern was seared.

If there had been any other monsters left in the Underground, they would have felt it shake like nothing they had ever felt before. The energy hit the massive conduits that connected the city to the core beneath. The power overloaded the system, sending a backlash into the core and causing a cascading failure of its systems. Bit by bit, the core exploded, tumbling down into the molten rock below, flooding the town of Hotland and plunging the Underground into would-be darkness.

The destructive tide was contained only by the eternal might of the barrier, which permeated the entirety of the Underground, and so the cavern that once held the city of New Home stayed in once piece as the light began to fade. Though, it was little more than a glassed shell any longer.

Asriel panted as he took in the changes to the landscape around him. He felt tired, more tired than he could remember feeling in a long time, but despite this he let out a bout of laughter. Nothing could have possibly survived the force he had unleashed. Nothing! Yet he could not stop his eyes as they continued to scan the barren ground around him. Despite his supposed assurance, he could not shake the feeling of doubt that crept up the back of his mind. But why should he doubt? There had never been any possible chance the human could stand up to his power. This had been a forgone conclusion from the beginning. The human had simply surprised him by putting off his destruction as long as he had.

Then he saw it: a blackened dot poking up from the hardening glassy surface of the cave. Red light began to surround it even as the monster rejected its existence. Red turned to white, licking up from the ground like fire, and the blackened ash shook free of the human's fully healed form.

"No!" The word escaped Asriel's mouth before he could stop it. It was not bellowed in rage this time, but in fear. How could this be? What gave the human the strength?

Why could he not kill him?

The human started to walk forward once more. Asriel let out a wash of flame, attacking on reflex like a cornered animal. With a casual wave of the human's hand, the magic was diverted.

The prince made ready another attack, but something else caught his attention. He looked down at his hand, the one that had been stuck through with the ice. It was falling away. The energy that made up its form evaporating before his eyes, the hole growing wider. Asriel stared in horror. He reached out for more strength and found something barring his way. Then true terror began to sink into him.

He looked back to the human who saw the horror on the prince's face and smirked.

Asriel did not understand. He searched for some way around whatever was cutting him off from his power, but it would not give. He pushed back against it franticly, searching for any point of weakness, anything! Then he found something else entirely.

Like a voice far in the distance, it called to him. The monster's gaze turned to the barrier and he could feel it growing stronger while his fear began to melt, and he knew he still had a chance.

Asriel let out another wave of fire before flying towards the place where the castle had once stood. The cave containing the barrier beckoned him. At the same time he could feel his power slipping further. He had to be quick, before it was too late.

He did not make it far before he found the human in front of him again. "What's the matter Asriel?" he said. "You don't look well." Asriel tried to bat the human to side, but he caught the blow like it was nothing. "Is the power of a god proving too much for you?"

Asriel could feel his body breaking down now. Holes marked his wings, his arms were getting thinner. The sight terrified him. At the back of his mind he could feel the barrier.

In a puff of smoke, Asriel fled the human. As he reached the room, he coalesced back into his adult form. He smiled up at the pulsing black and white light. He could feel its power. The voice calling him practically rang in his ears. Yes, he still had a chance.

He reached out to the barrier, trying to sift through its endless tides, searching, but it was overwhelming and he could not force his way through. Then, it slipped away from him altogether.

"No!" he cried. He reached out again, but this time he could not pierce the barrier at all. "No!" The power of the souls slipped away from him, rejecting him. The monster screamed. "Why? Why!"

"You haven't realized it yet?" A voice came from behind him. He turned to find the human, standing at the other end of what used to be the doorway to the castle. "You may have taken the souls, but that doesn't mean they don't retain a part of their willpower. And they're using that willpower to resist you."

"No, I can't lose!" Asriel lashed out, a wave of flame appeared to try to keep the human at bay, but it fizzled out before it could even cross half the distance between them. He was not even certain the human had a hand in that.

"It's not about winning or losing, Asriel." The human took a step forward.

"Stay back!" The prince screamed, and the human stopped.

"What you're trying to do," Ryan tried. "It isn't possible."

The monster shook his head in denial of the man's words, but at the back of his mind he could feel that he was right. His power was gone, it had abandoned him. He had failed. "Fine," he said more to himself than anyone. "I'll just start over. Go back to the beginning and try again."

"You can't," the human stated.

Asriel's eyes snapped back to him. "And what makes you think you can stop me?"

That time, Ryan looked away. "To be honest, I'm not sure I even want to stop you," he told him. "I don't really care if you tried to start everything over. I've made my own mistakes that I wouldn't mind seeing wiped clean."

"Then why won't you let me win?" The monster challenged. He struck at him, swinging his fist at the side of the human's face. He caught it without looking away from his face.

"Because it won't do you any good," Ryan told him. "And because that's not what you really want." The prince looked like he was about to argue, but the words died in his throat. "No," Ryan went on. "Everything you've done up to this point was for one purpose: Chara. You want them back. That's all you've ever wanted. It just took me this long to realize that."

The prince pulled back from him. Ryan could see confusion on his face, so he continued. "You and I are the same, Asriel. This whole time, I've been working towards one thing: trying to find a way to save you. Every thought always came back to that. But I had no answer to that problem, so I tried everything. I understand now that that's all you've ever been doing as well, just for a lot longer. Long enough to forget that you even were.

"Torturing people wasn't to satisfy some twisted sense of curiosity, it was a desperate attempt to uncover how people thought and reacted, to try to understand why Chara had done the things that they did. You didn't want power to destroy the world or even control it. You wanted it to get them back, because no matter how many times you kept resetting and trying again, you could never go far enough to redo the one thing that mattered.

"That's why you hesitate now. It's the same reason I hesitated going to Asgore: you don't think you're ready. You're afraid of ruining the one chance you have because, despite everything, you don't know if you're right."

Asriel wanted to rage against the man's words, but he could not bring himself to. He could not even bring himself to move. He was wrong! There had not been any reason behind the things he had done, there was no reason behind anything. That was the truth he had to learn. What did this human know about him? What did he know about Chara? Finally, his voice found him again. "Even if what you say is true, what does it matter?"

Ryan held his gaze steady. "Chara's dead, Asriel."

"Chara is not dead!" the prince shot back without hesitation. "Can't you feel him? He's here!" He turned to the barrier, searching its light. "Chara! Where are you? It's me, Asriel." He waited, for the response that he knew would come, but only silence met him. "Chara?" he called again. Still, only silence. He reached out to the barrier once more in desperation, but as he did the presence he felt seemed to fade with the pulsing light. "No, Chara, please! Answer me! I'm not ready for this to end. I'm not ready for you to leave." The monster fell to his knees. "I'm not… I'm not ready to say goodbye to someone like you again…"

"That day on the surface," Ryan said, making Asriel's attention spin back to him. "You killed Chara, didn't you?"

"No! I didn't!" The monster shouted as he sprang back to his feet. "I fought him, I had to! He left me no choice. But it was an accident!" Asriel squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before going on. "I didn't kill him, he ran away. I couldn't stop him. There was nothing I could do. My body was falling apart without him."

"Asriel," Ryan said gently, drawing the monster's eyes to him. "It's not your fault. None of it is."

The monster's face twisted with a mixture of emotions. "You think I don't know that?" he roared. "You think I wanted everything that happened that day to happen? Do you think I wanted to go to the surface that way? You think I wanted to poison my brother? He would have just done it himself if I hadn't helped. Do you think I wanted to chase him away? He wanted to kill everyone on the surface! And I almost let him!"

Ryan took a step closer to the monster. "It's not your fault," he said again.

"I didn't want to wake up as a flower!" the prince continued to exclaim. "I didn't want the power to keep waking up at that same moment. I just wanted Chara to come back! But he left me alone. He was the only one that ever understood me. I couldn't be alone. Not again…"

Ryan put his hands on the monster's shoulders. "It's not your fault," he repeated.

"I tried everything! I helped everyone! I made everyone happy. I did what he said was impossible, but it wasn't enough!"

"It's not your fault."

"I killed everyone, just like he wanted, but that didn't help either. Nothing I did ever worked! I couldn't save him." The monster's voice started to crack. "I cared about him more than anything else, but no matter what, I only ever made things worse. He was never happy, he couldn't let go of what happened before he fell, he… I… I…"

"Asriel," Ryan cut off. He looked the monster in his eyes, tears beginning to form in them, and embraced him. "It's not your fault," he said one final time. For a moment, Asriel stood rigid in his arms, and the monster broke down.

Asriel cried out, letting go of an eternity of sorrow and pain. He clutched at Ryan desperately as he wept into his shoulder. "I'm sorry," he whispered through his sobs. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Ryan told him. "I forgive you." He let the monster cry, holding him close.

Asriel's form began to glow, it fell away to become the child he was once more. Ryan let the monster go as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "How?" he asked. "After everything I did to you, how could you forgive me?"

"Because I had already forgiven you, long before I had ever met you, long before I even knew you were real."

"I don't understand…"

Ryan shook his head. "You don't need to understand. I've learned that can come later. Sometimes you just have to accept that there are people who are still willing to believe in you despite everything. And then maybe one day you'll start believing to yourself too."

The monster chuckled. "I don't know… I haven't felt like this for a long time." He looked at his hands. "I was soulless for so long. I couldn't feel love. But now I can feel everyone's compassion. They all care about each other so much. And they care about you too, Ryan. I wish I could tell you how everyone feels about you. Papyrus, Sans, Undyne, Alphys… Toriel. It feels like they all really love you."

"I've heard that monsters are weird like that." Ryan joked.

"Yeah, we are," Asriel agreed. "But… after I acted so horrible… I hurt you. I hurt so many people. Friends, family, bystanders… There's no excuse for what I've done."

"That may be, but none of it was your fault."

Asriel shook his head. "All I've ever done was make things worse for people. How could you want to save someone like that?"

"Because I believe everyone deserves a second chance."

The young monster chuckled again. "You really do believe that, don't you? I think I finally understand how my brother felt. When we were alive, all I ever wanted was to make Chara happy. I kept telling him that he was a good person, that our mistakes don't define us, that I forgave him for what he did, and that he just needed to be willing to accept that. Maybe all he ever wanted was someone to agree with him…"

Asriel looked up at Ryan. "After he was gone, I was alone and afraid. I didn't know what had happened. All I could think about was what Chara did in the end. I became obsessed with it, and I did all of those horrible things as a result.

"At some point I thought I knew the reason. That it was loss – the loss of everything – that drove Chara to do what he did. And as a flower, I found that I agreed with him. But then you came along. I was wrong, you're not like Chara all, really, but there were some things that reminded me of him. You thought the same, reacted the same way to certain things. And yet, you kept fighting, despite hopelessness, despite failure. I think that's why I was picking on you so much, because I thought you were so much like him, yet you didn't act like him at all, no matter what I or anyone else did. I thought I was ready to see him again, to tell him that I understood his pain, that I was ready to try again, but you made me doubt myself, and that made me mad, so I took that anger out on you.

"You were right. All I ever wanted was to go back to that day and stop him. Even now I want to, and I can, I can feel it, but…"

Ryan laid a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe it's time to let go."

The young monster looked up at him in shock, but then shook his head. "No, you're right," Asriel stood up just a little straighter. He rubbed his eyes again. "Chara always said I was a cry baby." He turned to Ryan. "I still can't come back with you, Ryan. It's not possible."

Ryan smirked. "I think I've already built up quite a bit of a reputation for doing the impossible."

Ryan thought he saw hope spark in the monster's eyes for just a moment, but then he turned away. "No, I need to let go," He repeated. Ryan tried to reach out to him, but he suddenly found that he could not move. "I think it's best if you just forget about me," the monster went on. "You should be with the people who love you."

"Asriel," Ryan choked, "What are you doing?"

The young prince looked back up at him, and there was no doubt in his eyes. "You're going to do a great job, okay?"

"Asriel?"

"No matter what you do, everyone will be there for you."

"Asriel, don't…"

"Take care of mom and dad for me."

"No!" Ryan roared. The monster turned his back to him, turned towards the barrier. "I'm not leaving without you Asriel!" he cried. "Don't do this! I promise. I _will_ bring you back to your family! You can have another chance!"

The monster glanced back once more. The smile on his face made Ryan's heart sink. "Thank you," he said. "For everything."

Ryan screamed his refusal as the young monster rose into the air, and once more he was blinded by light. A feeling of calm and comfort washed over him, overriding his sorrow and his panic.

And then he woke up.

 

"No!" Ryan shouted as he jolted awake. His heart raced, and so reality came back to him in spurts. He was surprised to find he was on his feet. As his eyes caught up to his mind, his friends resolved themselves before him. He was reaching out to the center of them. They looked at him with concern. They were all standing in a cave he did not recognize.

"You alright, bud?" Sans asked him.

Ryan opened his mouth to answer the skeleton, but found he did not have one. A thought tugged on him, like something from a dream that seemed the most important thing in the world until the moment you woke, but as he tried to reach for it, it slipped away from him.

"I was right!" Papyrus exclaimed before Ryan could say anything. "I knew something like that would leave him hungry. We should have stopped to eat before we went on."

"I think you're the only one who's hungry, bro." Sans told him. Ryan watched more than one of his friends faces of horror melt with a sigh of relief as that seemed to be enough to dissuade the taller skeleton.

"What… What's going on?" Ryan asked as he found his voice.

Their looks of concern returned. "Maybe you were right after all Paps," Undyne commented.

"After we finished up in the hall, you asked us for the other souls. Then you took us to the barrier and destroyed it," Whimsalot answered. "We were going up to look at the surface and then you just sort of zoned out."

"W-we were getting worried," Alphys said. "It felt like you were out of it forever."

"Yeah, any longer and I would have freaked out," Undyne added. "Tell us next time you decide to take a nap, okay?"

Ryan just looked back at them, confused. "I… destroyed the barrier?" he asked.

"Yeah," Whimsalot reinforced. "You don't remember any of that?"

Ryan tried to think back. He could remember fighting everyone in the hall and a deep feeling of hopelessness that consumed him. He remembered being ready to give himself up, but everyone convinced him to stay. And then… nothing."

"You were acting a bit funny the whole time," Alphys began to offer as an explanation. "Maybe having that many souls had some sort of effect on you? We don't really know much about what that's like."

Asgore stepped up to him and gave him a quick glance up and down. "Would you like some tea, perhaps? Maybe it will help to clear your mind."

Then Toriel shoved him out of the way. "Honestly, if he is not well he will need more than tea, you buffoon." She turned to him, resting a hand on his head. "Do you want us to go back so you can rest?"

The gaps in his memory worried him. In fact they more than worried him. It felt like there was something unnatural to them, and the more he thought about it, he could feel that tugging sensation return, but he could figure out what had caused them later. And if what his friends said was true… there was something far more important to do at the moment. "No," he said, shaking his head to clear it. "I think I'm okay now."

"Are you sure?" Toriel went on. "You look troubled. Is something still the matter?"

Ryan could see that there would be no hiding his doubt from her. "I'm not sure," he said. He tried to work out how to explain it. "I feel like… like there's someone who isn't here. Like there's someone missing…"

"Well," Toriel suggested. "I'm sure you must have made many more friends than these. It makes sense that you'd want all of them here."

Whimsalot gasped. "We forgot about Loox!" He exclaimed. "He'd never forgive us if we went to the surface for the first time without him."

"I'm sure Ruby and Sallie would want to be here too, even after everything." Ayame added.

Ryan shook his head. "No, it's more than that… I don't know. My mind keeps going back to Home. Like there's something there that I forgot."

His friends all exchanged glances. Sans looked at him consideringly.

"Well, then why not go? The pathway is open now." Toriel told him.

Ryan looked up at her. "Are you sure?"

The monster bowed her head and gave him a smile. "Of course. We will wait here."

"No, you don't need to do that. You should go on without me. I've already seen the surface plenty."

"Nonsense, we should all go together, I think. A few more hours will not hurt. It will give me time to catch up with what I have missed." Ryan looked at his friends again. They all seemed to be in agreement. "On the way, however," Toriel went on, "could you tell everyone you see the news? Although, after the display, I have a feeling most will already know."

"Sure thing." Ryan told her. "And Toriel? Thank you."

"No, my child, thank you. Now go. We will be waiting for you here."

"Yeah, hurry up, will you!" Undyne shouted at him.

Ryan nodded and turned back to the castle, letting an unknown feeling guide him Home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song for this chapter is If I Were, by Nothing More.  
> And yes, I stole that one bit straight from Good Will Hunting.  
> Alright I gotta go pack. I'll see ya later.


	61. Homebound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, what's up? Doin' good? How that thing going? That's great.
> 
> Before we begin this one, I'd like to make a request. I've recently gotten back into reading fanfiction (and now I can't understand why I ever stopped) but I'm looking for something specific. In the newfound stresses of Uni, I need some light reads, just some great, slice-of-life, feel-good fics, without any sort of drama in them. So I'd like to ask of you, strange people who read my story, to send me a message if you know a story that fits the bill. Just needs to be Undertale related. I don't care who's in it, I don't care who's shipped with who in it, I don't care how explicit it gets (yes, you can even recommend me those stories). I just need something to lose myself in, and I can't afford to find one myself and then find everything goes south halfway through. My heart cannot take it at the moment. Thanks.
> 
> Now, enough of this.

The sight of New Home amazed Ryan as he descended the main steps of the castle, as it always did. He was beginning to gather that it was impossible to react any other way. The city itself was an impossibility, in more way than one, but at that moment the magically constructed ancient city of stone with its sporadic sprinkling of modern technology was the most real thing Ryan felt at that moment. For some reason, he had expected it to look different after everything that had happened, and, he supposed, it was, or at the very least the way he looked at it had changed.

When he had visited last he felt as though he could sense a weight over it, a veil of dreariness that permeated its entirety, hiding in the shadow of the allies between the tightly packed buildings and in the smiles of the monsters that walked its streets. At times it had been palpable enough that Ryan thought he could see it if he looked over his shoulder fast enough. Now though, that feeling was gone. What replaced it was an air of celebration and excitement. There was a lightness he could sense with every step he took down the stairs, like he might simply fly off of them at any moment.

Monsters were running through the streets as Ryan left the castle grounds behind. Each of their faces held the same excitement that he felt. There were all sorts, from those the size of his hand to those nearly three times his height, all different shapes and sizes. Never had he been more out of place in his life, and never had he felt like he fit in anywhere better than he did at that moment. The monsters shouted to one another as they ran and shouted from the windows in the buildings above as well. Children clung close to parents, running circles around them more often than not, mouths moving with a million questions that blended together with all of the rest. It was like they had to talk to one another, to let out some of the energy trapped within them, to share the exhilaration that threatened to boil over for each of them. The conversations varied slightly, but the topic at the center of all of them was the same: the barrier.

A few of them ran up to him as he approached, seeing that he had come from the castle, and asked him if it were true. A few others recognized him from his last trip there and jokingly asked if he had anything to do with it. For a moment, he thought of telling those in the latter group the truth just to see their reactions, but he decided to keep it to himself. For the moment. He simply told them that they would know everything soon enough.

Ryan made his way through the streets with a smile that reflected those around him. He walked slowly. Though he knew his friends were waiting for him, he felt no need to rush. After all, this day would only come once. It was only right to savor it. He stopped for a few more chats along the way spreading more stories as he went and riling their anticipation further.

Before he knew it, he found himself in a place that looked familiar. It took him a moment to recognize it as the street where he had fought Mettaton. It had been completely rebuilt, and seamlessly, to look like the fight had never happened. He took a moment to drink in the street, the way the air felt crisp like after stepping out of a stuffy room, the buzzing activity of monsters. Their whole world had changed that day. He had changed it for them. He had hoped it was for the better. And now he had done it once again.

As he brought his eyes back down to earth, Ryan spotted a familiar face a ways down the street. It was the bird monster from that day. The girl stopped as she spotted him as well. She was still wearing the ribbon he had given her that day in the plume of feathers atop her head. She smiled and waved at him before being pulled away by her mother. Ryan chuckled to himself.

"Quite the change, isn't it?" Sans's voice came from behind him. Ryan was only slightly startled by the sound as he turned towards the squat skeleton.

The monster looked up at him with the same smile he always wore. The light of his eyes seemed to peer deep within him as they always did as well, but something about them had changed just like the city had. Ryan raised a brow at his friend. "Get tired of waiting already?" he prodded.

"No, but I was starting to get a bit thirsty up there," Sans said as he reached into his hoodie. "So I figured this would be a good time for us to catch up." The skeleton pulled out a bottle of ketchup and showed it to Ryan.

Ryan's eyes went wide. "Why Sans, I think that's the first genuine pun I've heard from you in a while."

The skeleton shrugged. "What can I say? You're back on my good side. For the moment."

Ryan crossed his arms over his chest. "So, what's the real reason?" he maintained.

The skeleton looked at him for a moment before answering. "What? Can't I just want to have a chat with my buddy?"

"No, because it's you."

He raised his hands in submission. "You got me, but I do want to talk, just not here." He turned and gestured for him to follow. After a moment Ryan did, falling to step behind the monster as they wove through the crowd.

They moved into the mouth of one of the many side alleys in that part of the city. A few kids ran past them as they did. Then they were alone. Ryan waited, expecting to suddenly be teleported to some other part of the city, but his friend simply turned back to him. The castle was visible above them. Sans stared at it for a moment before getting to the point.

"Alright," he said. "Start from the beginning. Tell me everything."

 

"That's it?" Sans asked once Ryan finished his story.

"That's it," he confirmed. He leaned against the wall in the alley, looking up at the pale blue of the ceiling above them. "After Toriel hugged me, the next thing I remember is waking up in front of you guys, barrier destroyed and half in a daze." He had given Sans the full tale, from when he first played the game Undertale up until that moment. Yet the skeleton still looked at him like he had expected more.

"There's nothing else from the game?" the monster pressed. "Nothing you're leaving out?"

Ryan shrugged. "Nothing I can remember. Nothing important at least. You play a kid that fell down to the Underground and made your way through it, making good or bad choices along the way. If you died or did something wrong, you went back to try again and no one remembered a thing. It was like any other game, until you started to realize that some parts of it did remember. You being one." He pointed at the skeleton before going on. "It's quite the game, really. A lot of things about this place are different from it, but a lot of things are the same too."

Sans chuckled. "You almost made that sound boring."

Ryan shrugged again. "I never was the best story teller."

"And that's it?" the monster went on. "There aren't any characters you left out or anything?"

"Nope, everyone from the game is the same that it is here. You, Paps, Undyne, Alphys, Toriel, Asgore, everyone. Even Snowy and MK and the others, though to a different capacity, and there are a lot of different types of monsters here that weren't in the game, but all of the ones that were are here. Why, _am_ I forgetting someone?"

Sans hesitated for a moment. "No," he said finally.

Ryan let out a breath. "These gaps in my memory are really starting to bug me. It's like pieces of an image that had been burned away, or thoughts that lead to nowhere. And whenever I try to push at them it just gives me a headache. All I can ever get from them is that there's something waiting for me back at Home. Something important."

Then I guess that's a good reason to be going there," Sans stated.

Ryan nodded in agreement before standing up straight. "But there are other reasons to go back too. Toriel and Whimsalot were right, for one thing. Someone has to make sure one's left behind, and plus I have some loose ends I'd like to tie up."

"Heh, don't we all." The monster took a swig of his ketchup before wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

Taking that as his cue to go, Ryan stepped around the skeleton, but the monster grabbed his arm before he could make it past him. "At one point you told me that that was your real goal, to make sure that no one was left behind; that everyone was happy. Maybe if you keep that in mind, you'll be able to get back what you've forgotten."

Ryan looked down at his mysterious friend. "Sans, is there something you're not telling me?"

There was another moment of silence that passed between them before the skeleton let him go. "Just a passing thought is all. It seemed like a good idea. You should probably get going before Undyne tries to pick a fight with everyone while you're gone."

"Hey, you pulled me aside," Ryan reminded him.

"It looked to me like you just standing dazed in the middle of the street before I found you," the skeleton joshed.

"I was there for like two seconds!"

"If you say so."

Ryan rolled his eyes and turned to leave. At the mouth of the alley, just as the din of the monsters in the street returned to him, Sans called out, "Is that really all you know about me, from that game? There's nothing else?"

Ryan stopped and turned back to the skeleton. "That's it, Sans. And no, I won't ask about anything else. I never particularly liked knowing everything about a person before I met them, and I think I should learn how to get what I want without that information from now on."

"Probably a good idea," the skeleton agreed.

Ryan turned away again and he felt his friend's presence disappear behind him. He thought back on what Sans had said. "I'll make sure no one's left behind, that everyone's happy." He could almost see himself saying the words to someone, but he could not remember who or when. Then, he realized it was because they were not quite right. That was a part of it, but there was something more to it, something that made it more complete. Then, suddenly, it came to him. "I'm going to save everyone," he said to himself.

That felt right, and for a moment he supposed he had done just that. He had opened the barrier, he had set everyone free, and like the game he had not had to kill anyone to do it. He had saved them all. Then that feeling returned to him, the one that pulled him to Home, and he felt like he was not quite finished yet. But who was left? Who had he not saved by destroying the barrier? What was he still forgetting?

As Ryan emerged from the alley, he was immediately met by more familiar faces, drawing him from his thoughts. "There you are!" Whimsalot said as he flew up to him, Froggit close on his heels. Behind them came Ayame, MK and Snowy.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked them.

"What were you doing in an alley?" Snowy shot back at him.

Ryan looked back into the side street to find that Sans was indeed no longer there. "Fair," he conceded.

"We decided to come with you, ribbit." Froggit told him.

"The tension between the king and queen was enough to choke a monster," Ayame added. "We had to get out of there."

"Plus, we wanna be there when to tell Loox too," Whimsalot continued, "and my brother. It's been months since we've been home."

Snowy stepped up to Ryan. "And there's something I need to do too," he said determinately. MK nodded in agreement.

Ryan returned the nod. "I'm not opposed to company," he told them. "Though getting around as a group in this traffic may be a little difficult."

They glanced at the crowds, which seemed to have gotten thicker just in the time since they came together.

"Speak for yourselves. I can fly," Whimsalot reminded.

"How about we take the long way?" Ryan suggested, looking at each of them. "There's a few other things I'd like to do on the way too."

The group agreed and they turned down a street that led away from the city center. The crowds thinned out gradually and quieted enough that they could actually hold a conversation. "So what 'long way' were you thinking of?" Ayame asked. "No matter which way we take, the tunnel out of the city will probably be clogged up."

"I was thinking the same way I snuck into the city the first time," Ryan told her. "Well, almost snuck in. The access tunnels between the core and the city."

The Astigmatism looked at him sideways. "Aren't those restricted?"

He returned the look. Since when did she care about anything like that? "Well," he said, "the way I see it, the Royal Scientist gave me permission to go there once, I'd say that's still in effect until she says otherwise, right guys?"

"Sounds right to me." Whimsalot agreed. The others chuckled. Ayame rolled her eyes.

"So, where's the nearest elevator?" Ryan continued.

Whimsalot suddenly hesitated. "Uhh…"

"Probably in the training hall," Ayame told him, producing a groan from the insectoid monster. They turned to look at him.

"Can we not?" he begged.

"Do you have a better idea?" Ayame asked.

"Yeah: anything else."

"Oh please, that place is not that bad," The Astigmatism argued. "It's not exactly a resort, but it's not some nightmarish hellhole either."

Whimsalot narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm sorry, how many times have you met Karim?"

"He can't possibly be worse than Undyne."

"He is though! At least with Undyne you know anything you do is likely to get you knocked out, but with Karim it's a freaking guessing game. You're always on edge. He knows it, and he gets enjoyment from it as well. And he seems to always know everything. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he could read minds."

"I thought that wasn't supposed to be possible," Ryan chimed in. "Even with magic."

The monster deflated a little. "It's not, but still…"

"Well, we're going," Ayame said, taking the lead without further consulting anyone. "One of us would like to get back before next week."

Ryan, Snowy and MK exchanged looks then followed after. Froggit trailed close behind, leaving Whimsalot hovering on his own. Finally, he let out another groan and flew to catch up with them.

 

As they entered the training hall, they were met with silence. It was a shocking contrast to the buzz of the city, one not unknown to the hall, but surprising nonetheless to the group that day. Ryan had expected that if nothing else would cause the place to seem busy, it would be the barrier falling. Perhaps it was just that empty.

Whimsalot was hiding on the back of Ryan's neck as the tall doors closed clamorously behind them. "So where is this elevator?" Ryan asked him.

"In the back," he answered quickly. "Now let's go, quick, before he finds us."

"I think he already left, ribbit," Froggit tried to assure his friend.

"Why are you so scared anyway?" Ryan added. "You weren't like this the last time we were here."

"Yeah Whims, what's the matter?" a new voice asked. They each turned to see Karim leaning against the wall behind them. The draconic monster snorted as he took in their expressions. Smoke wisped up the sides of his head as he shook it. "It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that the barrier fell, could it? No, that has nothing to do with you, surely. But the barrier's gone _and_ the human's still here. Now if that's the case, that could only mean that he managed to get past the king, and if he managed to get past the king, it means he managed to get past the active guard members too – of which he is a part of – whose sworn duty is to give up their own lives before letting them get to the king. But since you're still here, and he's still here, and the barrier's gone, that could only mean you've failed in your primary mission. Am I wrong?" Ryan thought he heard Whimsalot squeak quietly in fear.

The small monster detached himself from Ryan's neck and shot Froggit a look that said 'thanks for the warning'. "Come on Karim," he pleaded. "This is Ryan we're talking about here! He's on our side."

The other monster seemed to think for a moment before answering. "You're right, but that doesn't change the fact that you technically failed in your duty. But I'll think of a suitable punishment later." The monster's gaze turned to Ryan. "It looks like you have more important things to do at the moment."

"Mind if we use your elevator?" Ryan asked, pretending that the conflict between the two monsters did not exist.

Karim nodded. "By all means. Before you go, though, a word?" Alone, his tone implied. Whimsalot jumped at the opportunity to leave. The rest of his friends took the hint and went on ahead. Leaving just Ryan and Karim in the tall atrium. "So you did it. Good to know I made the right choice for once in believing in you."

"I'm glad you think so, though it remains to be seen whether this is a good thing or not," Ryan told him.

"Eh, I'm sure we'll be fine. I hope things don't go too smoothly though. I'm itching to fight some more of your kind."

"Don't tell them that," Ryan warned. "They'll take you seriously."

"Don't worry," Karim assured him. "I don't think any monster will _actually_ go out of their way to pick a fight with anyone up there. Well, except maybe the captain. Hopefully the good doctor will be able to keep her reigned in."

Ryan gave the monster a questioning look. "Oh, please. It wasn't obvious?" The two shared a laugh.

"This is really it, isn't it?" Karim went on. "A new beginning."

"It is," Ryan agreed.

"I can see it already, the king making a big speech, the big parade up through the castle. I imagine I'll have to do crowd control. Means I'll be one of the last ones up. Oh well, just means it'll be all the sweeter."

He looked over the hall around them. "I haven't been able to get over how empty this place has become for a while. The world of monsters didn't really have need of a guard, not a huge one anyway. I think that's about to change though."

"You may be right," Ryan agreed. "I hope you're wrong, but I think it's best to be ready for anything."

"Not a lot of faith in your own kind, huh?" Karim meant it as a joke, but Ryan answered him seriously.

"I wouldn't call it that. There are a lot of different humans up there. Different in completely different ways than monsters are all different from one another, and no two of them think the same way about anything. It's not that I think they're bad or anything, it's just that we all have very different ideas of what is right, and that makes it hard for us to get along sometimes. Plus, accidents and misunderstandings happen."

"I think I get it." Karim told him. "'Forgive a rough start,' right? Just as long as we don't get sealed underground again."

Ryan chuckled. "There's multiple reasons why I'm sure that won't happen," he told him.

"I'll take your word for it. So what are you up to anyway, leaving so soon? You're going to miss all the fun."

"The queen sent me to gather up everyone outside the city," Ryan told him.

Karim's eyes widened. "The queen? She's back?" He poked him with an accusatory finger. "There's something you're not telling me."

"There's a lot I'm not telling you. Don't worry; I'm sure you'll be filled in soon."

"I'll hold you to that," he told him, slapping him on the shoulder. "And I won't hold you up anymore. Go do what you gotta do. I'll be rooting for you."

His friends were waiting for him around the corner. Whimsalot looked like he was trying very hard not to be suspicious. "Were you eavesdropping?" Ryan called him out.

"No!" he said defensively. "I was just trying to see what his reaction was is all."

Snowy turned to Froggit and asked, "Hey, why aren't you scared at all?"

"Because I have learned to accept my fate, ribbit," he said confidently. The drake turned to MK and shrugged.

"Shall we?" Ryan suggested, gesturing down the hall. Whimsalot led on.

The elevator in the training hall led them down to a passageway that was nearly filled with old pipes and machinery, none of it looking like it had been in use for decades. It was a place Ryan vaguely recognized and so he took the lead. "Ever been down here?" he asked the group. Snowy and MK predictably shook their heads. Ayame did as well.

"Not even the guard patrols down here anymore," Whimsalot told them. "It's either only accessible to lab personnel, which there are very few of now, or completely abandoned."

"Oh, trust me," Ryan told him. "It's far from abandoned."

As the group continued on their way, the still gears and pipes of the corridor became choked with webs that got denser as they went on. The idle banter between them died down as the web built up until finally MK asked, "Yo, Ryan? Are you sure we're going the right way?"

The human answered curtly. "Yup, this will take us directly to the lab."

"What's over here anyway?" Snowy added.

That time Ryan turned and gave the young monsters a smirk. "A friend."

Eventually, the lights above their heads failed them and Ryan summoned one of his own. He kept it dim so no more than a dozen feet was revealed in front of them or behind. Ryan could see farther, Froggit could as well and he expected Ayame had some ability to penetrate the darkness better than most. Whimsalot, MK and Snowy, however, hung close to each other and to the rest of them. "Just like old time, eh?" The insectoid monster buzzed nervously, trying to break the silence.

"It is," Ryan agreed, "however this time it's a little bit more than just the suspicion of something hiding in the dark."

"Wait, what?"

Ignoring his friend's question, he shouted. "Muffet? It's me. You can come out now."

A melodic laughter answered his call. It seemed to reverberate around the room, which revealed it to be much bigger than their miniscule light let them perceive. The spider monster stepped out of the shadows. As she did, an intricate chandelier became lit above their heads. It looked to be made out of web as well. Hundreds of spiders crawled away from the sudden light and Ryan extinguished his own.

"It's not often I get to entertain guests, dearie." Muffet said as she stepped up to Ryan.  
"And never so many at once. Of course I have to make an entrance. So, what brings you to my corner of the world?"

"Just visiting," Ryan told her. "Heard the news?"

She bowed her head. "Indeed. It's the only thing I've been hearing from my spiders for the last few hours now. Though, what none of them have been able to tell me was how. But I suppose with you here, that answers the question." She gave him a smile and looked to his friends. They all looked more than a little nervous, even Ayame, though she was doing a better job at hiding it. "Would you care for some tea?" she offered.

"No thank you!" Whimsalot answered a little too quickly. If Muffet took offense to this, she did not let it show, she simply blinked her many eyes slowly. He cleared his throat and added, "What I mean is… uh… I wanna put more distance between me and Karim before we take a break. So I'm gonna wait up ahead while you do your business, okay Ryan?" Froggit hastily nodded in agreement. "You said the lab was this way, right?" He pointed into the shadows. I think we'll meet up there. Anyone else want to come with?" The rest agreed with the monster and they quickly followed him away from Muffet's lair.

"I'll take that tea," Ryan said with a smirk.

 

"What do you think you'll do now?" Ryan asked after the pair settled, sipping their tea and picking at a few snacks.

"On the surface?" Muffet took a moment to ponder the question. "Oh, I'm not sure. Open up another branch of my bakery perhaps? I do quite like this cave though. Maybe I'll expand out to the rest of the Underground. I doubt many other monsters will want to stay behind and much of it is in need of some serious redecorating." She giggled at her own sentiment.

"Well, I could get you a word with the king about that if you want," Ryan told her.

Muffet's giggle became full blown laughter and shook her head. "No, I was only joking. Nothing so grad for me." She rested a pair of her arms on the table and eyed Ryan with a hungry look. "What about you? What do you plan on doing?"

"I…" Ryan's eye turned to the darkness around him. Within it he could see the other spiders had stopped what they were doing and were staring at him as well, waiting for his answer, and he realized then just how big of a deal that answer would be to monster kind. He had set them free, and a measure of responsibility came with that. He had known that before, he supposed, but that was the first time he truly felt the weight of it. "Hopefully I'll be able to make sure everything goes smoothly," he told Muffet. "That's the most important thing at the moment." But even as he said it, he felt something rebel against that thought, like it was not entirely true, like there was a part missing to it just like before. Instinctively, he reached for the amulet around his neck. It was hot to the touch. What was he forgetting?

"Were you ever able to find them?" Muffet asked, piercing his daze.

"Who?"

"The one you were looking for."

"The one I was…" Ryan trailed off, he tried to remember, but once more it felt like his thoughts hit a wall. That was a piece of it then, he had been looking for someone.

"I suppose not," Muffet finished as she saw Ryan's reaction. She changed the subject. "So, do I get to know why you had me chase your friends off?"

Ryan's cup stopped halfway to his lips as he was about to take another sip of tea. "Sorry about that," he said. "There was something I had to do alone."

The spider monster waved a hand at him dismissively. "Not a problem dearie. I'm glad I could help."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Indeed. You destroyed the barrier. I think that cancels out the debt between us. If anything, I think I still owe you a favor or two now." A sparkle lit her eyes. "Maybe."

Ryan hardly noticed the monster's tease. In his mind, his thoughts rebelled against him, _you didn't destroy the barrier, did you_. Outwardly, he forced his lips into a smile. "Thank you, for that and the tea." Remembering something, he fished into his pocket and pulled out a bag of coins. "Does that mean I can get a discount?"

The spider monster smiled back at him. "Of course, dearie."

 

Ryan finished his donut as the elevator broke away from the rock that ran beneath the city and the glass panels making up its walls revealed the massive volcanic cavern below New Home. The glass responded to the sudden bright orange glow and darkened slightly. "Alphys is going to have a field day when she gets to the surface," Ryan said to himself as he tapped the glass. "The whole world will want to get their hands on her mind." He turned around. The elevator ran the center of the cavern. The core, pressed more to the back, flew past him as he stared through the glass. "It's a good thing she has Undyne to look out for her," he finished.

The elevator slowed to a halt and Ryan stepped out to a wash of heat. He only felt it for a moment before his body compensated. He could barely even remember the time he had to think to make his powers work, now the magic was second nature. To his left was the core, looming over all. He spared it one more glance before turning to his right, towards the town of Hotland.

He had never ventured to the volcanic town in his time there, though the opportunity had presented itself more than once, and as he laid eyes upon it for the first time, he found he regretted that decision.

His first thought was that it looked like a fiery version of Snowdin. The layout was much the same. It sat on a plateau several feet above the molten earth. The buildings, metal instead of wood, were all one or two stories and gathered around a center street that cut the town neatly in two. What made it different was what lay on the outskirts. Beyond the central plateau were several others ringing the town. Some were higher up than others, but all were over the town. Stairs led up around the sides of the rock. Bridges connected some to others. A few had glass domes covering them while others were open to the elements like the main town itself. Altogether they made the town about twice as large as Snowdin. A younger part of him would have loved to live in a place like that. It was like one big jungle gym.

The town was just as busy as the city above, though less populated. Monsters moved to and fro, some carrying bundles while others were likely returning to their homes to grab more. Several elevators ringed the town like the one he had come down on and they moved nonstop as monsters worked to get to New Home for what they all likely knew was coming.

Ryan approached one of the monsters as they walked by. They smiled at him, or at least they did until they saw the light coming from his chest. "Excuse me," Ryan began, overlooking the reaction. "I was wondering if you could help me find-"

"A human!" the monster shouted, nearly stumbling to the ground.

"Wait, I…" but it was no use. The monster ran off before Ryan could say anything of significance. He scratched his head at the response before he remembered once more: he had never been there before.

Hotland was a town that tended to exclude itself, if by necessity more so than desire. It made sense no one would know about him. Even most of New Home thought he was a monster method acting for Mettaton still. For a moment he thought about setting his illusion, but he stopped himself. "No more," he told himself. "No more fear."

A few heads had turned at the monster bolting past them. Ryan waved at them. "I was wondering if anyone could help me with directions," he called out. Each ignored him, returning to their previous tasks, steps a little more hurried than before. Ryan let his arm fall. "And thus we remember why we never tried talking to people before coming down here," he said to himself.

He made his way further into town, trying to find someone willing to help him, but he was ironically and continuously given the cold shoulder until something grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him between two buildings. When he was let go, he turned to find a familiar pale green figure standing before him. "Ruby," Ryan said, his surprise turning to delight. His joy at seeing the monster was quickly squashed, however, as he took in her expression. The fire monster was staring up at him angrily and very much like he was the last person she wanted to see. There was none of the fear he remembered from that day in her eyes though, which was good.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, "walking around out in the open like that? Half the town thinks we're being invaded now. Are you insane? No, I already know you are, but still!"

"It's good to see you," Ryan cut her off.

The fire monster cooled off slightly as she realized she was yelling, but her anger still smoldered. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

Ryan noted the harshness in her voice. "I was hoping to find you, actually."

The monster spread her arms out. "Well, you found me. What do you want?"

"I wanted to apologize," he told her. "And I know that doesn't even begin to cover it, but I figured I should at least start somewhere."

The shade of her fire darkened slightly. "You're right it doesn't," she said quietly. As he was about to say more, the monster turned away from him. "Come on. Let's get you off the streets at least."

"The barrier is gone you know," Ryan told her. "Monsters are gonna have to start getting used to seeing humans around."

"Most of the monsters here think that the barrier being destroyed means that Asgore took seven souls," she reminded, "and that us leaving means humanity will soon be destroyed."

"Oh… right," Ryan said awkwardly. "Well, hopefully they'll think differently once everything is made formal." He had not even thought about that. He suddenly had a few doubts of everything going as smoothly as he planned.

"Still, they probably shouldn't see you before that, should they?"

"No, you're probably right."

"Then let's go."

Ruby led Ryan down a secluded path up to one of the domed plateaus on the outskirts of the town proper. They went up to the back of a house that sat on near its edge and went inside. The interior was much the same as others he had been inside of all throughout the Underground. It was neither old looking or new. There was no set style to the furniture, but rather looked like a mish-mash of all the styles on the surface in the last century. The common rooms – kitchen, dining room, living room – were all conjoined. The walls were painted a light blue and it was significantly cooler than it was outside.

Ruby went to sit on the counter in the kitchen. "So the barrier is destroyed and now you come to apologize to your friends. I suppose that says something about you, though I'm not sure what."

Ryan sighed. He went to sit down in one of the chairs but decided against it. He did not think he would be there very long. "I wanted to apologize sooner," he told her, "but I found out you moved back here. I took that as a hint you didn't want to ever even accidentally run into me again. Then I got a bit caught up in something else."

Ruby just glared at him for a moment. Ryan fought not to squirm under the gaze. "What you did that day really scared me, Ryan," she said at last. "What you said really hurt."

"I know," he told her. "I don't expect you to forgive me. I just wanted to make sure you knew that I was sorry, and that I will do everything in my power to make it up to you if you're willing to let me. But if not, then this is the last time you'll have to see me."

"Does this mean you're done acting all high and mighty?" she asked.

"Definitely."

There was a brief moment, and then she sighed. "I'm sorry too," she said. "None of us should have kept anything from you. At the time we thought it fair because you we knew you were keeping something from us, but that was just petty. We should have trusted you more than that and just told you how we felt. Friends?"

Ryan smiled. "Of course."

Ruby nodded. "So did you find it? Whatever it was that you were looking for?"

Ryan chuckled. "I don't even remember what it was to be honest, but I don't think I did."

"What's that's supposed to mean?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Something happened at the barrier, and now pieces of everything are missing."

"Well, I'd help, but healing magic doesn't work on memories."

"That's okay, I don't think this is anything that anyone can fix." Silence descended on them. "Everyone's waiting at the top of the castle," he told her. "We're going to take the first step onto the surface together if you wanna join."

"You make it sound like you won't be there."

"I will. I just need to make a few more stops first."

"Piss other monsters off besides me?" Ruby joked.

"A few." They both laughed.

"I think I'll stay here and help my mom pack," she told him. "Be sure to bring me back a souvenir though."

"Will do," he told her.

Ruby hopped off the counter and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you," she said.

"For what?"

"I don't know. For everything. Well almost everything. Oh! And one other thing. Tell Ayame I won the bet."

Ryan raised a brow. "Bet? You know, normally I'd be offended at that, but I'll let it slide this time."

The fire monster looked up at him. "What happened to not acting high and mighty?"

A door opening cut off Ryan's response. Ruby immediately shoved herself off of him. A moment later another monster appeared through the front entrance who paused as she realized she was not alone. She seemed to Ryan to be made up almost entirely of water, at least the parts that were not covered by a formal business suit. The water was the translucent teal of tropical shallows. Ryan could see a distorted version of the room through her. Big eyes the color of sand regarded him quizzically. "Hi mom," Ruby said in reveal.

The water monster's gaze lingered on Ryan for an extra moment before she continued on her way into the house. "Hello dear," she said in response. The monster was carrying several boxes in her arms, which she proved to be empty by dropping them all at once in a corner. She then walked up to Ryan and gave him her full attention once more, and Ryan knew instantly that that was not a good thing to have. "And who might this be?" she asked.

"Ryan," Ruby said simply. She did not seem reluctant to give up the information. That was a good sign.

The water monster's eyes softened slightly, but did not become any less wary. "I see. Ruby has said quite a bit about you." She extended a hand. "Serena. I'm Ruby's mother."

"It's nice to meet you," Ryan said as he took the offered hand.

She held his hand just a moment too long, staring into his eyes, looking for something that Ryan knew he should be hoping she did not find. Instinctively, something told him that between her and Grillby, she was a far bigger danger to his continued existence. "What brings you all the way down here?" she asked.

It took a moment for Ryan to find his voice. "I, uh… I'm here to spread the news."

She nodded. "Ah yes, the barrier. Then I suppose the king does want all of us in the city to make his announcement." She let out a sigh. "Times sure are changing huh?" She turned to her daughter. "Ruby, could you go check and make sure I left none of your father's things in the basement?"

Ruby glanced between them for a moment with what seemed to Ryan like reluctance before going to do what her mother asked. Soon the human and the water monster were alone.

"So, you really are a human" was the first thing Ruby's mother said to him once they were alone. "I was afraid you were just some pervert looking to take advantage of her obsessions."

Ryan's eyes widened. "I didn't know monsters did stuff like that."

"Not really, at least there haven't been any instances since I've been alive. But as a mother, I worry nonetheless."

"I see…"

"So, I take it this hullabaloo has something to do with you?" she asked next.

"More or less," Ryan told her.

"Well, my daughter's excited, if nothing else." She let out a breath. "To think that this would happen during my lifetime. I would have never guessed. You know, when I was your age, getting out of here wasn't even a thought on monsters' minds. Least of all my own."

The monster closed her eyes and smiled as she thought back to those days. "I was part of the Guard back then. In those times our biggest worry was dealing with troublesome kids. We never had to worry about humans falling down here, just their junk.

"On a positive note, maybe now my husband will finally be willing to leave that frozen wasteland of a town. Although, I suppose I _was_ just getting ready to move out there again myself before Ruby suddenly decided to come home. Oh well, I suppose that hardly matters now."

Once more, Ryan could not help but feel slightly guilty for throwing everyone's lives into sudden uproar. He had told himself before that it should never have been a decision left up to him, but he still did not like his part in it.

When the monster finished talking to herself she opened an eye that glanced over at Ryan. "Come on," she encouraged, "you're not going to ask how a fire monster ended up with a water monster? I know you must think it's odd. Everyone always has it on their mind once they've met all of us. I won't take offence."

Ryan just shrugged. "I fell for a rabbit."

The monster's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "I see… Well, I suppose that story will have to wait for another time then." She extended her hand to him again. "And we will be seeing each other again. I make a habit of getting to know all my daughter's friends, and I'd say you're the furthest thing from an exception to that rule."

 

Ryan had lingered just long enough to tell Ruby he'd see her soon once she returned from the basement. After being forced by her to take the long way out of Hotland around the perimeter, he made his way to the lab by way of semi-easy to follow routes. Every time he began to feel lost, a sign would seem to pop into existence that pointed him in the right direction.

For a moment, as he came up to the white, metal box, he thought of going inside, but decided against it. There was nothing left for him there.

He found his friends waiting for him in the mouth of the cave that lead to Waterfall. "What took you so long?" Whimsalot remarked as he approached. The small monster was relaxing in a cup of water. The armor that he never seemed to take off anymore was piled up next to him. MK was practicing running up and flipping off of the wall of the cave under Ayame's guiding hand. Froggit simply sat waiting patiently, staring at nothing until his friend had spoken up. Snowy was further in sitting in a bed of ice to cool himself down. "You get lost or something?" his friend went on.

"He went to see Ruby," Ayame answered before Ryan could say anything. Ryan shot her a look that went ignored. "Damn, I lost the bet," she added under her breath.

"What? Why didn't you take us with you?" Whimsalot said as he flew up out of his self-made hot tub.

The Astigmatism flicked him, making him fly back a few inches. "Don't ask dumb questions," she told him before she began walking into the cave. The rest of them followed after before he could protest.

They made it a short way into the caves before the monster stopped again. "Where are you going now?" he moaned.

"Back to Snowdin?" Ryan answered questioningly.

"Why don't we just take the river boat then?" he suggested. "It would be a lot faster."

"Actually that's a good point," Snowy added. "I'm still exhausted after today." Even MK nodded in agreement.

"And rightfully so," the monster stated, patting the drake on the wing. "So what do you say?"

Ryan thought for a moment. "Nah, I'd rather meander," he answered finally.

The insectoid monster let out a breath. "You and your endless energy… Fine, anyone else?"

"I think I'll go with Ryan," Ayame answered.

There was not even an argument. "Alright, see ya. Don't expect us to wait for you this time."

The four disappeared down a side tunnel. Ayame turned to Ryan. "How'd things go with Ruby?" she asked.

"She talked to me, so better than I expected."

"That's good. She coming with us to the surface?"

"Hopefully," he said, and the two went on their way.

"So did you really want to go the long way, or were you hoping to lose all of us again?"

"No, I was hoping someone would join me this time. There are a few things I wanted to do; a few monsters I wanted to make sure got the news." They stopped in front of a branch in the cave. "Some of them are a little reclusive." He stepped into the cave, and Ayame followed after.

They barely made it three steps before a voice called out, "Who's there?" making Ayame jump slightly. "Don't think you can sneak up on me!"

The voice belonged to none other than the old monster, Gerson, who stepped out from behind a rock as he finished his greeting. He looked even more decrepit than Ryan remembered the last time he had seen him, leaning heavily on his cane and shaking ever so slightly. His step was jerky and unsure and he looked weighed down. Ryan wondered how he was even standing at all. The monster smiled as he saw him all the same. "Oh ho! It's you. I hope that means you've kept your end of the bargain." He turned to Ayame. "And who is this? This isn't the one you were looking for, was it?"

"No," Ryan told him. "She found me, and I've been trying to get rid of her ever since."

"Excuse me?" Ayame practically growled.

The old monster chuckled. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, my dear. I'd ask your name, but I'm afraid I'd forget it in a minute anyway. I'd offer my own as well, but it's hardly important."

"You're Gerson," Ayame asserted. "The hero from the war on the surface. They say the only reason any monsters made it through that day was because you and Asgore were able to hold the humans off. You're a legend." The monster's tone was not exactly reverent, but there was definitely a measure of awe and respect Ryan had never heard her give anyone else.

Gerson's lips drew into a line at the flattery. "Well, that's the thing about legends," he told her. "You can't trust them. They get exaggerated and re-spun to the point where they may as well be lies. And the longer they're around, the worse they get. I can guarantee you that there were countless other brave souls there that day who are more worthy of praise than me." The old monster paused as he waved them in. "But, that's neither here nor there."

The three took seats around the monster's camp. It was significantly less tidy than it was since Ryan had last been there with Undyne. None made comment on that fact. The old monster sat with the drawing of the Delta Rune to his back and examined his guests with a sharp eye. "So," he went on. "The barrier's gone, that much is obvious, but what else happened since I saw you last?"

"More of the same, I suppose," Ryan informed him. "Training with Undyne, finally met Asgore."

The monster smiled. "How are those two?"

"Undyne's doing well. I believe she just got a girlfriend."

Gerson's face split into a grin. "That scientist girl, I presume?" he nodded. "Good for her. Did she have to do it, or did my girl finally work up the nerve?

"I had to kick them both into it," Ayame told him, which earned a hearty laugh.

"Oh, how I would have loved to have seen that! And Asgore? How is he?"

Ryan took a moment to find the words. "I think his life has been thrown into a bigger storm than even he expected. But I think he's at least starting to find some peace with everything."

"Were you able to get through to him?"

"Something like that, though I'd say the queen coming back had a bigger impact on that front."

Gerson gave another laugh that quickly developed into a cough. When he was able to clear his throat well enough, he said, "I suppose that only makes sense. Those two did not leave things well between them. It's a shame, really. I've never known two monsters to be more meant for each other than them, but time does all sorts of things you don't like. Like make you old. Haha!"

"They're talking though," Ryan added, "which is better than I expected considering how I remember her talking about him when I was living with her."

The old monster raised a brow at that new piece of information, but he let it pass. "Now, what about that other matter we discussed? Did you find your answer, and what you were looking for?" Ryan hesitated a moment and the old monster _tsked_. "I don't like that look in your eyes, son. Out with it."

Ryan leaned forward before replying, "That's actually why I'm here. I wanted to ask you about a couple of things. Were there actually any instances of anyone, monsters or humans, taking each other's souls on the surface?"

Ayame, gave him a questioning glance but stayed quiet. Gerson looked into his eyes for a moment before answering. "Yes," he said, "and I'd rather not say anything in regards to the situations surrounding them. It's not my story to tell."

Ryan nodded. "Do you know if it did anything, besides simply give them power? Did it change them in any way? Affect them?"

The monster nodded. "It did. Souls are not meant to be mixed. Pieces of each individual are lost and the rest is mixed together. What you're left with something that is neither both nor either of them. Why?"

"The barrier," Ryan told him. "Something happened when it fell, and now my mind's all jumbled. I'm trying to figure out why."

"Took the souls, did you?" Ryan shrugged. "Guess there isn't really another way it could have happened. With you still sitting here. Unless we had another human down here I didn't know about. No? If that's the case, I can only imagine what that could do to a person. I wouldn't have wished that on you or Asgore or anyone. But I suppose the simple answer to your question is that anything could have happened. How much do you remember of the experience?"

"None," Ryan told him.

"Hmm… that's a shame, I suppose. I'm afraid I can't be much help."

"That's okay, I wasn't really expecting much."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you do it?" Ryan simply looked at the monster. "Fine, I don't really want to know anyway."

"You said I told you there was something I was trying to do," Ryan went on, "someone I was looking for, and I feel like that was somehow more important than the barrier or anything. But all I remember was deciding that it shouldn't be up to me to decide when the barrier would fall, I figure that's why I finally went to it but…" He looked to Ayame. Flashes of his fight with everyone returned to him. "That can't be it. It doesn't all add up. Do you remember what I told you?"

The monster shifted on his seat. "You never really told me, boy. But yes, it was very important to you, whatever it was."

Ryan ran his hand over his head. "So much for that."

"The fact that you are able to recognize that you've forgotten is a good sign," the old monster told him. "It means you'll likely remember it in time. You simply need to stop thinking about it first." The old monster winked. "I'd suggest taking a walk, getting some fresh air."

"We _are_ supposed to be gathering monsters up." Ayame added.

Gerson turned to regard her. "Is that so? Then don't let this old monster keep you any longer. Sorry I wasn't able to help you at all."

Ryan told him the apology was unnecessary as he and Ayame stood up to go. The Astigmatism made a comment about it being nice to meet the old monster before stepping out of the cave.

Gerson grabbed Ryan before he could follow her. "Would you be willing to give Asgore a message for me?" he asked.

"Sure," Ryan told him, "but why not tell him yourself? I'm sure he'd appreciate someone in his corner right now."

Gerson shook his head. "My time is almost at an end, I think." He pulled his pipe out of pouch at his belt and filled it with a trembling hand. "I held out for a while, hoping I'd get to see the day where at least some things turned out for the better down here." He lit the pipe and took a long draw on it. He closed his eyes, savoring it. "And now, I've gotten to see my girl grow up and find her own happiness, my old friend's mind can finally be at ease, and we're finally free of this mountain. But…" He paused, glancing around his cave. "I've lived every day of this dark time in our history, and even though I'm sure things will only get more interesting from here on out, that is not for my eyes. I've spent my life trying to be a model monsters could look up to, but now they have you. I think I'm done. Will you tell him goodbye for me? Undyne too?"

Ryan blinked in shock at the monster's words. "I really think you should tell him yourself," he maintained.

The old monster shook his head. "No," he maintained. "Asgore's had enough of his family die in his lap. It would be cruel of me to come back only to disappear for good."

Ryan gripped his head as pain suddenly shot through it. "You alright my boy?"

"I'm fine," he said quickly. And image had come to Ryan's head for just a moment, not long enough to make out what it was. Gerson's words rung in his mind. _Asgore's had enough of his family die in his lap._ What was he forgetting?

"I think Asgore would appreciate seeing you again more than you think," Ryan told him. "And I think having me say goodbye for you would hurt him more than saying it yourself."

Gerson thought for a moment. "You're probably right," he said. "I'm just being selfish, aren't I? Alright, I'll do my best. Now, go be about what you should be being about! Quite shirking your duties. If you were in the guard, I would have whipped you into shape five times over by now!"

 

"What was that about?" Ayame asked Ryan a few minutes later. They had walked in silence up until that point, the monster refusing to meet his gaze.

"I don't know," Ryan told her honestly. "I was hoping he would help me find out."

Just then, Ryan's pocket vibrated, nearly making him jump in surprise. It had been quite a while since someone had messaged him. He pulled out his phone. It was from Toriel. It read,

_Dear Ryan,_

_Sans and Alphys are teaching me how to text._ _For example: Do you know what a "smiley" is?_ _Please look at this:_

_]: )_

_Now turn your head to the left._ _It is a picture of me smiling at you! Can you see it?_ _L-O-L! (That stands for Lots of Laughter.)_

_Sincerely, Toriel_

Ryan smiled to himself as Ayame went on. "Well, that's disappointing. I was hoping I would finally get some information out of you myself." She suddenly stopped, standing in his path. "You really scared us all back there in the castle you know."

Ryan felt his heart sink. He had been dreading this moment, but he knew there would be no getting around it. Sooner was better than later, he supposed. "I know," he told her. "I'm sorry. No, that doesn't even begin to encompass how I feel. You have no idea how much I regret what I did to you and everyone, but especially you."

"You were willing to sacrifice yourself to try to make up for it," she stated.

"I was," Ryan agreed.

The monster turned and looked up at him. There was a fierceness to her eyes, not anger exactly, but something close. They glistened with barely held back tears. "You're going to have to a lot more than that if you expect me to forgive you," she told him.

"I know," he said again.

"And you can start by forgiving yourself."

Ryan froze with his mouth half open as he lost what he was about to say. Her words shocked him. He had expected something far different from the former sadist.

"People make mistakes," she went on, seeing his confusion. "You can't let them ruin you."

"I would hardly call tearing out your eye something as simple as a 'mistake,' Ayame." Ryan reminded her.

"Semantics," she said dismissively. "My point is, as long as you think you can change, no one else's opinion matters. You taught me that. You, Sallie, Undyne, and Alphys and MK and Snowy and everyone else."

Ryan's smile returned, wider than before. "You're right," he told her. "I'll remember that."

She nodded as if the statement were a given. "You better."

The duo continued on until they came upon their second destination. Ayame had to double back as Ryan suddenly turned down a side cave. "Another soul-searching encounter with wise, old monster?" she teased.

"Nothing nearly as profound this time," he told her. "Just doing my job and making sure someone's up to date."

They came to the pair of tilted, oblong houses Ryan had been to often enough that were tucked out of the way from the rest of Waterfall. The lights in both of them were off, and an unexpected figure stood at the entrance of the blue house on the left.

"Blooky, I know you're home. It's me. Will you wake up and open the door?" Mettaton said loudly as the robot rapped on the glass of the lower story window. The monster must have sensed he had company for he turned dramatically, and with hand to head said, "Oh, being corporeal has such distasteful drawbacks."

"I've never known doors to stop you before Mettaton," Ryan said as he walked up to the monster. "Or walls for that matter. What's stopping you now? Also, why are you all the way out here?"

The robot looked appalled by Ryan's words. "I always respect people's privacy!" he asserted. "Right up to the point that I believe they deserve. It isn't my fault they always think they need too much." Mettaton looked back at the door again. His expression became glum. "Blooky always was a bit of a shut-in," he told them, "but he always answered for me. I suppose it's my own fault. I never even came to visit him once since I got my new body. He probably thinks I've abandoned him." Mettaton then looked Ryan up and down, as if just then registering who it was standing before him. "And what are you doing here, darling? I figured you'd be on the surface celebrating by now."

"I've been tasked by royal decree to make sure everyone knows the news," Ryan said with his own little bit of dramatic flair. "And I figured if any monster in the Underground wouldn't know about it, it would be Nabstablook."

Mettaton's mechanical lips twitched with the hint of a smile for a moment before his analytical glare returned. "Your delivery still needs work, human, but there's hope for you yet. Maybe one day you truly will be a star. Anyway, leave Blooky to me. I need his help in setting up the show in the city. No one in the Underground is better than him when it comes to music."

"Show?" Ryan asked. He caught Ayame rolling her eyes.

"Seriously, with all this time spent down here? Do you still not understand a single thing about how we work?" She lectured.

"A celebration is a given for an event such as this," Mettaton clarified. "It will, after all, only come once in all of history. One would hope. And, of course my presence will be expected. Nothing less than my best performance to date will do, which I will never be ready for if that ghost doesn't wake up. Go! Gather my audience. I will handle things here."

The two needed little more prodding. They wished the robot luck and continued on their path back through Waterfall.

"You're right," Ayame said after they were out of earshot. "He is annoying up close."

Just then his phone buzzed again. It was another message from Toriel.

_Dear Ryan,_

_How are you?_ _You have been wandering around for quite some time now._ _I hope you are not getting into trouble._ _Only kidding. L-O-L!_

_Sincerly, Toriel_

_PS - Do not get into trouble_

Ryan chuckled under his breath. "He grows on you," he told the Astigmatism.

 

"It's certainly something," Ryan said once they made it to the city's overlook. He had found that watching the activity from above was a whole different experience than being in the middle of it. A sea of color seemed to flow through the streets. A crowd was already beginning to form in the courtyards of the castle, and it was quickly growing to fill the streets beyond. Some even filled the rooftops of nearby buildings. A few specs flew above.

"The city was crowded on a normal day," Ayame reminded him. "Once everyone else finishes flooding in, I can only imagine what it'll get like." She turned and looked up at him. "There isn't this many monsters still living in the old capital, right?"

Ryan shook his head. "Not even remotely close." He thought he heard her sigh in relief.

"And is there really as much space as everyone says there is on the surface?" she asked next.

"Well… yes."

"I sense a 'but' coming."

Ryan took a moment to find the words. "There will be a lot of hoops to jump through in regards to being able to go everywhere on the surface. It won't be as simple as being able to spread out wherever we like."

"What's stopping us?"

"A lot of things unfortunately, too many things to get into now, and many more that I don't even know about." He decided to try to draw her mind to a different topic. "So what's your plan once we get up there, long term?" he asked. "Your hopes, your dreams? I think you're the only one who never talked about that kind of stuff."

The Astigmatism's look gained a hint of annoyance. "I have no idea," she told him. "I don't even know whether or not we're all just going to be obliterated by humans in the next couple of days."

"Well, giving optimism a try for a change, what do you think you'll do?"

She seemed to take him a bit more seriously that time and actually considered it. "What's there to do on the surface?"

"A lot more than down here," he admitted. "And at the same time, a lot less."

"Then I guess I'll just feel my way around until something sticks. It's been working for me so far."

Ryan nodded and they turned into the drizzling cave beyond the overlook. A simple spell kept the water off of them. Ryan noticed a change in Ayame's demeanor and said, "You look like you have a bad taste in your mouth. More on your mind?"

She shook her head. "Last time I was here wasn't the most pleasant experience, is all," she told him.

"Bad?"

"Weird."

She left it at that. Ryan shrugged and started to walk a little faster as they came upon the weathered statue tucked to the wall. The umbrella was still wedged between its head and shoulder, keeping it from further erosion. Aside from the pitter patter of water and their own splashing steps, the cave was silent.

"You know about that thing too?" Ayame asked.

"More or less," Ryan answered as he leaned into the statue. From its center, he pulled the broken, decrepit music box. With a thought, he reached out to something, he still was not quite sure what, and asked it if it could help fix the box. It said it would try.

A pale light surrounded the music box. Ryan guided the spell, doing what was instructed though he could feel it was no more certain of what it was doing than him – that hardly mattered when it came to magic though. When the light faded, the box's layer of rust was gone, the gears within were straight and free of dents and the teeth of the comb were all fixed. It looked almost brand new. Ryan wound it, hoping, and as he let it go a haunting melody began to chime through the tunnel, one he was very familiar with. He smiled and put the box back in the statue.

"That… almost brings back memories for some reason," Ayame said.

"It does," Ryan agreed.

"What did you do?"

"Set something right." Ryan's phone buzzed again. Once more, it was Toriel.

_Excuse me,_

_I did not mean to write "sincerly". I meant to say "sincerely". It is difficult to use this with large hands. Perhaps I should ask Sans to transcribe for me._

"Hey Ryan?" Ayame spoke up, drawing his attention back to her. "If you find whatever it was you forgot, it's not going to change anything again, right? You're still going to stay with us?"

"Of course," Ryan assured her.

She did not look any less nervous. "It's just that… you were going to before. Leave, I mean."

Ryan looked down at the monster's back. So that's what was still bugging her. "I know," he said, "but I realized that was a mistake. I've forgotten how I managed to do anything without you guys around. It's too late to go back now."

"You promise you'll stay, no matter what?"

Ryan nodded. "I promise."

The pair eventually made it back to the cave of waterfalls just before the entrance to Snowdin where they found the rest of their friends playing in the warm pools that filled the various steps of the cavern. Ryan could see Froggit hopping from pool to pool, propelled by his magic, as Snowy tried to snatch him out of the air before he could dive underwater again. He watched MK jump from a cliff higher up only to be caught by Whimsalot and dragged back to the top. He could make out the young monster's disappointed look even from all the way at the bottom.

Snowy spotted the two newcomers on one of his passes and flew down to land on Ryan's shoulder. He smiled at the human, anything more being drowned out by the roar of the falls around them.

They joined the rest at the top where they could finally talk. "Again, took you long enough," Whimsalot commented.

"Well, just imagine how everyone back at the castle must feel," Ayame reminded him. "Besides, you looked to be taking advantage of our absence."

MK, who had still been running around up until that moment, fell to the ground between all of them. He panted as he stared up at the many rainbows that filled the misty ceiling above them and said, "I love this place," They all shared a laugh.

 

It was not long after they entered Snowdin that the group had to split up again. Even this far from the city, every monster seemed to already know what had happened as if they had been there themselves. A few even came up and thanked Ryan. He told them in return to begin heading to the capital before asking them all the same question, and eventually he had his answer.

"So who's coming with me?" Ryan asked the group. An awkward silence met him. "Awe, come on guys!"

"Sorry Ryan," Snowy told him. "I have to find someone too."

"I'm coming with you," MK told the drake.

Snowy gave him a frustrated look but eventually submitted. "Fine, just let me do the talking."

That was all he got from the two of them. Ryan could sense something was going on, but he decided to leave it up to the drake. "Alright," he told them. "Meet back here when you're done."

"Thanks Ryan." Snowy flew off, and MK trotted off behind, yelling at his friend to wait up.

Ayame cleared her throat next. "I should make sure I didn't leave any of my stuff at the inn," she said before going off in that direction.

That left Whimsalot, who simply laughed at him. "Yeah, you wish! Even I have a limit on how far I'll stick my neck out for you."

"I must agree," Froggit added. "She can be far scarier than you when she wants to be, ribbit."

The two went off to god-knows-where, leaving Ryan to stand hesitantly in front of Grillby's on his own. His hand was halfway to the handle before it froze. All thought fled from his mind as he hung there, and he suddenly found himself having no idea what he was doing. He knew he had to do this and what he had to say, but then what? What did he want after that?

A minute passed before he realized that it was not really up to just him, and that anyone who was inside would have seen him standing there like a loon by that point through the glass pane that made up most of the door. So, finally, he swallowed his fear and went inside.

The restaurant was all but empty, which surprised Ryan, but there were signs that it had not been that way for very long. Chairs still sat slightly askew, as if just pushed back for its occupant to rise. The leather seats of some of the booths still held the depressions of a former diner – though all of the tables were clean – but not even Grillby was there now. There was only one other person at the bar, the monster he had been told would be waiting for him: Sallie.

The rabbit did not even turn away from the bar as the bell above the door chimed to announce his entrance. Ryan's pulse raced despite his best efforts and he willed his feet to move. He took a seat at the bar so that one empty one separated them. While he was struggling to come up with what to say, she spoke up first. "So you did it." She did not look up from the glass she had squeezed between her hands.

"I guess I did," Ryan said awkwardly.

"I'm glad. Maybe now I can finally get out of this town."

Silence descended on them and Ryan decided to cut straight to the heart of the matter. "I'm sorry," he said, voice nearly choking on the words from how dry his mouth suddenly felt. He paused to gather himself before going on. "What I did was out of line."

"But it was necessary, right?" Sallie asked, cutting him off. "I mean, it's what allowed you to do what you always said you had to, abandon us so you could destroy the barrier." Her words stung, but he deserved every one of them, and so he stayed silent as she went on. "Looks like you were right, though it seems you didn't need to sacrifice yourself after all."

"I thought it was the only way at the time," he told her. He was not trying to defend himself or justify what he did, he just felt like she deserved an explanation. "But Alphys and I found another."

"And that worked?"

Ryan was about to say yes, but the words died in his throat as they suddenly felt untrue. "No, it didn't work," he found himself saying instead, confusion laced his voice.

_Why?_ A voice rang in his mind. And a thought formed around it. Why had their plan not worked? And now he was certain it had not, but he could not remember why. He could not even remember going through with it, he just knew that it had failed and he had not questioned it before that moment for some reason.

"Now you're not making any sense again. Not that it matters. In the end, you're still here," Sallie went on. "Unless I'm going crazy."

"I don't even know how it happened," he admitted.

_Yes, you do_. The voice cried. _Remember._

Flashes of color flooded Ryan's vision for a moment, black, then white, then red, then yellow. They nearly formed an image in his mind, but something else seemed to fight against it and it vanished just as quickly as it came.

"Even as you're apologizing, you're still going to lie to me?" Sallie's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. What was happening to him?

"I'm not lying to you," he told her a bit more harshly then he intended as his head suddenly split with pain.

"You expect me to believe that?" she shouted at him. "You expect me to believe that you destroyed the barrier but remember none of it? You're keeping something from me, still. Not for a single moment has there ever not been something hidden between us. I'm sick of it Ryan! When are you going to let me in? If not now that the barrier has fallen, then when?"

"Sallie," Ryan tried to say calmly. "I swear I'm not lying to you. Something did happen at the barrier. I can barely even remember why I left in the first place now."

That only worked to make her angrier. She squeezed her glass to the point where Ryan thought it might crack and barred her teeth. "You don't just tell the person you love that there's someone more important than them and then suddenly forget that!" she yelled.

"I said that?" Ryan asked. His head swam now. He felt like he was about to fall over as the swirls of color returned.

The monster did not let up though. "Yes, you did. And then you ran off to get yourself killed because you thought it would save him!"

Her words echoed in his mind, pulsing in time with the colors. _Save him. Save him. Save him._

_Save him!_

Ryan pushed back forcefully against whatever was fogging his mind and it retreated like it had never existed in the first place. "Sallie," he said again once his thoughts were clear. He bit back what he was going to say first, realized it would be no use trying to convince her. It was too late for that. He could see it in eyes that refused to look at him. Accepting reality, he said, "I didn't come here trying to get you to forgive me. I didn't come expecting you to take me back. I just came to say that I'm sorry."

The monster's anger melted, and disappointment replaced it. "And that's all I'm ever going to get, isn't it?"

"If I had anything else," Ryan told her, "I'd give it."

"Sometimes I wonder," Sallie said under her breath as she stood up. She looked up at him for the first time. Her eyes were wet with tears, and even now, after everything that had been said, there was still a longing in them. Ryan did his best to ignore it. "I do hope you find what you're looking for, whereever it actually is," she told him sincerely.

Ryan nodded. "I hope you do too."

Without another word, she went to the door. As the bell echoed through the empty restaurant, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He let out a breath.

Grillby walked in from the back room and stepped behind his bar. He placed himself before Ryan who stood as he noticed him. The fire monster extended a hand and after a moment Ryan took it. "Thank you," he said to the monster.

As he let go of his hand, the monster produced two shot glasses from under the bar which were quickly filled with a dark liquid. Grillby raised one and Ryan picked up the other. "To freedom," Ryan said, "and the future."

They both took their drinks and slammed their glasses down on the bar. With a nod of his head, Ryan turned to go.

"Hey," a voiced called before he reached the door. Ryan turned back to Grillby. "Good job," the monster said. Ryan smiled and went out to find his friends.

 

"You don't have to do this you know," MK told Snowy as he saw the hesitation on his friend's face. They both stood at the edge of the tree line in a place deep within Snowdin Forest. In the clearing beyond, Snowy's old home sat quietly next to a frozen pond. A light in the window told him someone was home.

His friend's words worked to knock him out of his daze. Snowy shook his head and swallowed his nerves. "No," he said firmly. "I do have to do this."

Despite his words, his feet refused to move any further. He wanted to just fly off in the other direction. MK nudged him with is tale. "I'll be right here for you dude," he said with a smile.

Snowy looked in his friend's eyes. "Thank you," he told him, and, finding his courage, he stepped out of the trees.

As he approached the door, he tapped on in it with his beak. There was about half a minute where nothing happened, and then the door swung open. Snowy's father stepped into the threshold. When he saw Snowy standing there, his eyes went wide. "Hey… Kiddo… What are ya up to?" he asked uneasily.

Snowy found himself unable to meet his father's gaze. He turned his head to the side. "You weren't there for me," he told him. His voice threatened to crack, but he had started; he could not let himself stop now. "After mom left, all you did was work. You were never around for us. You were always in the city, and the few times that you were home all you did was lecture us or yell at us.

"Every time I wanted to play, all you ever said was 'maybe later,' but later never came. And then one day when I asked you just got mad at me and talked about how there was more important stuff to do in the 'grown up world'. But I didn't care about any of that stuff. I just wanted to be a family again…"

Snowy paused, biting back his tears. "I started getting into stand-up because I thought maybe then you'd have time for me again, but you just got even angrier, told me to stay far away from that sort of stuff. I didn't understand. I thought you hated me, that you didn't want me to be closer to you… I wanted to tell you how I felt, but every time I tried, you wouldn't listen. You just kept ignoring me or yelling at me. That's why I started running away. I started to practice my routine more and more. I thought that if I could get on stage with you one day that I would finally be able to tell you.

"That day when all of my friends were able to say to you what I had wanted to for so long, it felt wrong. It felt like my goal was taken from me, and all I was able to do at the time was stand there, afraid.

"I felt lost for a while, but a whole new world has opened up now, and I decided I'm going to walk my own path through it. And I'm going to accomplish so much that you won't be able to help but be proud of me!" He was yelling by the time he finished. He had not even realized he had raised his voice.

There was a moment where nothing happened. Snowy squeezed his eyes shut and was ready to fly away when his father finally said something. "I am proud of you, son." Snowy looked up at his father and found him smiling though tear-filled his eyes. "You've grown up so much, no thanks to me."

The older drake chuckled to himself. "My life's work has always been to make people smile," he continued, "but after your mom was gone, I couldn't put smiles on the faces of the people that mattered most to me, and I think a part of me felt that it couldn't be me to give them to you anymore. I'm sorry I pushed you way, I didn't mean to, but I was so worried that you would just end up a stuffy ol' grouch like me, stuck in the past.

"I'm so glad you were able to find friends, and that you were able to find happiness again. And I _am_ proud of you, son, and of the monster you've become. Your mom would be too."

"Dad…" Snowy choked.

There was no embrace, no falling into each other's arms as they came to a final understanding. Both realized they were past that point. The two simply stood there for a moment before the older Snowdrake made an awkward ruffle. "So, I suppose I should look up where that human will be staying once we're on the surface, huh?"

Snowy shook his feathered head. "No, I've decided I'm going to live with MK. His family's nice, and all I want now is something a bit more… normal."

His father seemed surprised, and slightly taken aback by the news, but he kept it to himself. "Okay," he said, "Will you keep in touch?"

"I'll try," Snowy told him.

"Alright. I love you, Snowy."

"I love you too, dad."

Snowy turned and walked away. He heard the door close behind him and felt a part of his life close as well. He walked back over to MK, half in a daze again.

"How did it go?" The monster asked. Snowy didn't answer. MK leaned down to look in his friend's eyes. "You okay dude?"

"I just thought of a new joke," Snowy said suddenly. "What do you call a Snowdrake that keeps running away from home?"

"What?"

"Flakey," the drake finished.

MK raised a brow. "Dude? That was awful."

The monster smiled. "I know right? It's perfect."

The two began their walk back to the town. "So how do you think it went with Ryan?," MK asked as they trudged through the snow.

 

"You're in luck. I happen to have a little bit left," the shopkeeper said as she handed Ryan a small bag which he exchanged for the few coins he still had left on him.

"Thanks for helping me while everything's so crazy," he told her.

The monster waved off the gratitude. "Not a problem. I can always make time for a customer. Hope you make good use of that, whatever you have planned for it."

Ryan tossed the bag into the air once and pocketed it. Just then, his phone rang again.

_Sans will be typing from now on._

"Oh dear…"

 

Whimsalot looked back the way they had come, in the direction of New Home. Before, he would have nearly sworn that every time he even looked in that direction he felt something making him want to look away. Perhaps it was just the timid nature of his kind, or perhaps it had just been his imagination, but that feeling was gone now, and he felt something that he had not felt since he first found the friend he was now following back home: eager.

"Soon," he said to himself as Ryan stepped out of the shop below them. Froggit gave his friend a sidelong glance and then nodded in agreement.

They hopped down off of the roof and joined their friend. "Ready?" he asked them.

"We were waiting on you!"

"Good."

The door to the inn next door opened and Ayame joined them. She looked Ryan up and down. "Oh good. You're not dead."

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Gee thanks."

"'Welcome."

Ryan held back further comment. "Alright, we still got some ground to cover and I'd like to be back before the day ends. Are Snowy and MK back yet?"

"I think I see them now." Whimsalot said, pointing to the town's entrance. The two were indeed making their way up the main street. They met in the middle.

"How'd things go on your end?" Ryan asked them.

"Fine," Snowy answered. There was a measure of nervousness to his voice, but also relief as well.

"That's good. You ready to keep going?"

"Actually, MK and I are going to help his parents get ready to go."

The drake looked like he was expecting Ryan to question, but he simply said, "Alright. Will you be coming back to the castle?"

"Of course!" he said as though everything else were unimaginable.

"Then we'll see you two in a few. Good luck."

"Same."

The two young monsters trotted off to the outskirts of town laughing over something that passed over Ryan's ears. He smiled to himself. He was proud of those two.

 

"Do you remember that day you first told us you were a human?" Whimsalot brought up suddenly as they approached the edge of the frozen forest. Ryan nodded as he went on. "We were all gathered around in the old meeting hall. It was the furthest thing from the populated portion of the city, no patrols to worry about, nothing. I remember being afraid the ceiling would fall down on our heads." He gave an awkward laugh. The other two monsters hung back, Ayame looking confused that Froggit was trying to strike up a conversation with her.

"I was scared of a lot of things that day. I was scared someone had followed us out there like I was every time we went exploring, I was scared of what would happen to you if you got discovered, what would happen to us. But one thing I wasn't scared of was you.

"You weren't anything like the stories we were told to believe, and you proved it that day when you were ready to give yourself up in front of the queen and everyone."

He paused. "What am I getting at…?" Ryan let his friend think. He could not think of another time he had been so candid. "I know you think I'm a bit less timid than most of my kind," he went on, "but the truth is, I'm just better at hiding it, and for most of my life it was only because I had my brother with me. I know I didn't show it when you told us what you were that day, but I was afraid, because I knew it would change all of our lives forever. But, strangely enough, I found myself looking forward to that change too. I had never felt that before.

"Ryan, you helped me gain something that no one, not even my brother could really give me, the confidence to grow up and be on my own." He looked over his shoulder at the other two monsters. "Well, almost. I just wanted to say thank you, and to tell you that you _do_ have the power to make us stronger. When we do take our first steps into that strange new world above us, for better or for worse, I want you to know that there's no one I'd rather have in my corner than you."

Ryan glanced down at his friend before turn back to the path ahead. "I've been getting a lot of those today, 'thank you's. I don't really think I've deserved most of them. Especially that one. You said it yourself, it was your choice to follow me, no one else's. Don't give me credit for something you did on your own."

The monster looked for a moment like he was going to argue his own advice, but he just shook his head and laugh quietly to himself.

 

He was almost hesitant to go down the steps that led to the city. It felt odd; forbidden to him after so long. For a while he simply stood at the top, looking out over the buildings of purple tinted stone. It had not changed, not at all, but then he had not really expected it to. Time became blurry as he stood watching the bustle of monsters below. They did not move with the same hurried pace as the rest of the Underground did that day; it was business as usual, exactly as he remembered it. It felt like he had been standing there just yesterday instead of almost a year gone, and at the same time it felt like so much more than that.

He realized that eyes below were beginning to point to them. Activity had slowed to a crawl as more noticed the group standing at the top of the steps. A crowd formed in the center street. They began to murmur amongst themselves.

"Guess it's time," he said to his friends. They nodded to him, and together they descended the stairs.

No one spoke to them. They all stared with a mixture of awe and disbelief, like they were seeing a ghost. Or, more accurately, someone they thought was gone coming back to life. Ryan realized he had no idea what the monsters of Home had thought had happened to him, and now he was beginning to wonder. They parted for him and the others as he walked by, seemingly afraid to go near him. Ryan did not break the silence, unsure himself of what to say. He scanned the crowd for a familiar face, but it found him first.

"Ryan!" a voice shouted from amidst the crowd, and just like some trace had been broken, everyone else began to murmur to each other once again. A shape pushed its way through everyone and Loox popped into the circle of space that surrounded the returning human, almost stumbling to the ground as he appeared. Ryan recalled that the last time they had met like this he had been in binds. That felt an eternity ago.

As Loox regained his footing, he walked up to Ryan with as big a smile as he had ever seen on the monster and Ryan returned one just as big. The Loox was wearing the robes of a council member, he realized, and he almost snorted at the sight of it. "So I heard you got a job?" Ryan opened.

"I heard you were dead." Loox returned.

Ryan glanced over the growing crowd. They had all gone silent again, looking at both of them almost expectantly. "I guess that explains the reception." He waved to a few other monsters he recognized and they waved back to him awkwardly.

One of the monsters broke free of the crowd and flew over to Whimsalot. "Bro!" Whimstwo shouted as he nearly tackled his twin to the ground. Laughter washed through the gathered monsters like a gentile wave, breaking some of the tension.

"So what happened? Where did you go?" Loox almost demanded and Ryan laughed as well.

"It's a long story, and it'll have to wait, unfortunately." Ryan winked at his friend before adding in a much louder voice meant to address the crowd. "I have come with news," he began. It sounded official enough. He had wanted this to be done right. It still felt odd, being in the city after so long. So much had happened, so much that the fact that this place had stayed so much the same almost frightened him. And for a moment, he found himself doubting once again the choice he had made. Was it really right for him to do this? Having disappeared for so long only to return with news that would throw their lives of centuries old consistency into upheaval. Would they hate him for it? Would they even accept it?

Then he remembered it did not matter. Whether it was him or someone else, it had to be done, because it was right. He turned to take in the crowd fully this time; making sure every eye was on him. "You have all been summoned to the castle." He paused, waiting for someone to ask why. He almost hoped someone did to make this whole thing less formal. Yet the monsters around him hung on his words and stayed silent. "The barrier has been destroyed," he said finally. They continued to look at him, expressions unchanging though he saw some stiffen, and he felt fear creep back to the front of his mind. No one said anything still. "We are free," He added.

The silence shattered in a sudden cheer so loud Ryan thought they might hear it in the capital. In an instant the crowd closed in him and his friends. A million questions sprung from each mouth. "How did it happen? What does it mean? Where will they go? And a word, the same word, passed every lip as if they were testing how it sounded: freedom, they cried. Freedom!

With a gesture, Ryan settled them back down. "Asgore will answer everything in capital. I was sent to gather everyone and once I return he will make the announcement to everyone."

The monsters wasted no time. The crowd dispersed back to their homes and they emerged moments later with bundles before heading towards the stairs out of the ruins. As they went by, Loox tugged on Ryan's shirt. "Public speaking? Not your thing," he criticized. "You sounded like you were trying way too hard."

Ryan laughed. "I won't deny that."

"So, how _did_ you do it?" his friend asked with an eager curiosity that he had often used when asking Ryan how he had managed to get away with something less than kosher.

Ryan smirked. "I'll tell you later." He said without looking away from the procession head for the ruin's exit. "There's still one more thing I gotta do."

"Well, don't keep me waiting long. Otherwise I may start making things up. And before you know it, I'll be the hero that destroyed the barrier and not you."

Ryan continued to look at the monsters ascending the stairs. For a moment, he thought he saw a figure standing there, look back at him.

"Everything okay?" Loox asked, seeing his friend's vacant stare.

He blinked and turned to his friend. "Fine," he said.

"So, I'm half surprised you didn't come back with more monsters," Loox said to move on the conversation, "but you didn't even come back with the queen. She alright?"

Ryan's phone nagged him as he got another message.

_hey ryan._

_it's torrrrrieellll_ _i just baked 1000000 pies._ _do you want any?_ _make sure to brush your teeth before crossing the street, ryan_

It was immediately followed with a message that said,

_I did not say any of that._

"As good as she can be," Ryan said in answer to his friend.

"So where is she then?"

"At the castle, waiting with everyone else," he told him. "You didn't think we'd go see the surface without you, did you?"

The monster looked at him skeptically. "Why do I get the feeling you were a step away from doing just that before you actually remembered that I existed?" Ryan let the question hang, his expression unyielding, and Loox shook his head. "The castle, huh? That'll be something. Will they actually let me in?"

"Just follow Whimsalot and Froggit. They'll lead you back. They're guardsmen now, you know."

That made the monster's eye widen, but he also picked up what was unsaid by his words. "You're not coming too?"

"I'll be right behind you," he assured him. "I just got one last stop first."

Ryan turned his head and winked at his friend once more before he began following the crowd up the stairs. He turned back as he remembered something. "I almost forgot. I brought someone I thought you might want to meet."

Loox looked up at him, confused, before a shape suddenly appeared in front of him. He jumped back, but the shape followed him, keeping the same distance between them. Eventually his eye focused on the figure before him and he found a pair of eyes staring back at him. He recognized the type of monster; it was an Astigmatism. As Loox tried to search for words to make conversation, the monster began to circle around him faster than he could keep track. She grabbed at him and poked him like a doctor giving an examination. Eventually she stopped and turned back to Ryan.

"He'll do," Ayame told the human, and Loox's confusion reached a crescendo.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

It went ignored. "Good," Ryan said.

"Wait, who is this? What's going on?"

"Have fun you two," Ryan said before he left the two of them alone.

He followed the crowd of monsters out of the city. Toriel had reopened another path to the exit that did not go through her house. It was much wider than the single door and made sure traffic was not getting too backed up as monsters who had not even thought about departing the ancient city for generations were leaving it behind without hesitation. It almost seemed sad to him. Ryan paused and looked over the ancient city one last time. He would miss it. A part of him had wished that one day he would have been able to come back and keep living here as he once had, but it was not meant to be. There was far too much to look forward to in the future to start dwelling in the past now.

He turned his back to the city and made his way, alone, to the next place he needed to go.

 

Like the city, in the time since he had been there, Toriel had not changed anything about her home. He suspected that if he had taken a decade nothing would have been different. Everything was in the same place, from the arrangement of the potted plants to the way the books stood or leaned on their shelves. It was as if she had just been there herself a short time ago. A fire still burned in the fire place, and the smell of a freshly cooked meal still lingered.

He went first to room that had once been his own. Nothing had been touched, his clothes still sat in their drawers or scattered about the floor, the collection of things he had found with Loox and the others still sat on their shelves in the far wall. He did note that the bed had been made. He looked around the room, searching, but he found nothing.

Back in the hallway, he stopped before the mirror, and with the memories of those early days fresh in his mind, the changes of a year suddenly seemed much more apparent to him. He looked… older, though he could not pinpoint exactly why. His eyes were now completely brown, and he realized with a slight amount of surprise that he needed a shave. He also found, despite the hectic nature of the last day, that his clothes were almost pristine as if they were brand new and not at all the ones he had worn when he had departed from the lab to make his way to the castle. The light of his soul glowed warmly in his chest. The amulet he still wore glowing even stronger over that. He held it and looked up at himself one last time. "Still me," he affirmed.

He went on to the other side of the house and sat down at the table in the kitchen. For a moment he simply thought back to that last day, the day he had left, and he found that he could not remember why he had left. He felt like he knew. It was the game, pushing him on even though he knew he wanted to stay, but he felt like there was something more than that. He could remember talking to Toriel, sitting in that very chair, but he could not remember the words he had said. More than ever, he felt like all of this was important, that he needed to remember whatever it was he had lost, but he had followed his feelings where they had led him and found nothing.

He started to think that perhaps he should just go back. If he was too far behind everyone else they would start to worry. But something still kept him there, urged him to keep looking, but he had no idea for what or where.

Annoyed, he stood up and went over to the bookshelf by the fire place. He grabbed one of the books near the top, the same he had stumbled upon his first day there. He brought the purple leather-bound book back to the table and flipped it open to the last page. There was a single line written in the middle of the page.

_Gori was right. This is a much better place to start a family._

"A family?" he whispered to himself. Then, suddenly, it seemed so close, the forgotten thought right on the tip of his tongue, but it slipped away once more. He closed the book, the holes in his memory much more apparent to him now than they were before. What did all of this mean?

As he stood to replace the book, he made a double take as he saw something in the corner of his eye, but he turned to find it was only a chair. He shook his head, chuckling softly at his reaction, when something else about the chair began to bug him.

It should not be there, he realized. It was a third chair on the side of the table facing the wall opposite the fireplace. Yet there had only ever been two chairs at that table when he had live there.

Or had there been? Had that seat not always been there?

"A family…" he whispered. The chair was shorter than the other two, as if meant for a child.

_A child._

He cried out as his head started to feel like it might burst. He fell against the table, dropping the book to the floor. His vision blurred, and he fought to remain conscious as a force built between his temples. Slowly, the pain faded. Once it had dulled enough to push himself back to his feet, he stared at the chair panting. "What is happening to me?" he asked the air.

"I'm afraid you've been caught between warring minds," a voice said from behind him.

Ryan turned to find a figure sitting in Toriel's armchair. It was a man, a human, and Ryan realized with more than a little bit of panic that this newcomer looked almost exactly like him. There were some differences though. This version of him, if that was indeed what he was, was older, his hair was longer and he held himself in a manner that made him think he was, in fact, nothing like this man at all. The stranger also was familiar in another way, as if they had met before but he could not remember where.

"I guess I should apologize," the man went on. "It is partially my fault." He looked up at Ryan with the gaze of a father admiring their child before they went off to their first prom.

"What's going on?" Ryan demanded.

The man stood before answering. "You came here because you feel like you've forgotten something." It was not a question, but Ryan nodded regardless. The man knelt down and picked the book up off the floor and put it in its place with its brethren. "Your memories have been locked from you, but a part of you still clings to them."

Ryan's brow lowered. Why was this man speaking in riddles? "What?" he questioned. "What have I forgotten?"

"In some ways, your very purpose," he answered. "Yet in other ways, the exact opposite. From the beginning of your journey you have sought the answer to something that has plagued your mind for quite some time. It became an obsession, one that threatened to destroy you. It was a desire that was not wholly you own, and in many ways was forced upon you. But nonetheless, you found the answer you sought, only to find the question was one that had never been asked.

"Yet, you pushed on anyway, and now you find yourself here."

The man's words only worked to annoy Ryan. He was not telling him anything, yet he seemed to know more than he should. "What does any of that even mean? Do you know what I forgot?"

"Yes," the man said simply. Ryan had not expected that.

"Then tell me, please. I can't leave this unfinished, not after everything. What can't I remember?"

"I wanted to explain something to you," the man said in lieu of an answer. He looked unwaveringly into Ryan's eyes as he spoke. "Everything that you've done down here is wholly your own accomplishment. I know you have felt that this has in many ways been the life meant for another, but it is yours. What you have forgotten on the other hand, what you haven't achieved, is not. It comes from somewhere else." He pointed to the door in the direction of the capital and the barrier. "You could go up there now knowing that you have done everything this world has expected of you and more besides. The story could end there and you and the friends you've made could live happily ever after. You've worked hard for that; you deserve it.

"But, if you truly wish to remember and pursue what you once did, then all of that will be out the window and you will face a world where you yet might fail and lose everything that you have worked to achieved and more. Yet, there will also be a chance for an even greater happiness.

"You must understand, you knew this would be where you ended up. You knew the best ending to this story and how to get to it. Up there, it will not be the same. The best ending will be all but unreachable no matter how much you struggle, and all of the paths you find that you think will take you to it will not. But I already know you don't care about any of that. You'd prefer it that way, after everything.

"In the end, I felt it best that the choice be made by you. Not by me, or anyone else. So, tell me, Ryan. What is it that _you_ want?"

Ryan looked at the man, as if trying to find a trick. Seeing none, he began to think back on everything he had been through. Falling down, leaving, getting caught up with everyone in Snowdin, being chased through Waterfall and Hotland and the core, training, living with all his friends, the fights, the struggles, and he remembered he felt… tired.

He had never been one to pursue anything, let alone as doggedly as he had this past year. Without even really realizing it, it had left him mentally exhausted. He wanted to rest, but he knew that there would be little to come. Did he really want to add more to his already stressful life?

Yet, he had finally learned what could be gained through struggle, and though it was not an easy life, it was not one he was about to give up. And so, he looked up at the man and gave him answer to that question that he had given many times before, and for the first time it rang true even to him: "I want to help everyone find as much happiness as possible."

The man smirked, as though he expected no less. "Everyone?" he asked.

"Everyone," Ryan maintained.

"Even if it means sacrificing your own?"

He shook his head. "There's no point in creating a world I can't be a part of."

"And what if the happiness you give someone ends up causing them greater pain in the future?"

"You should never give up happiness today for the chance at happiness tomorrow," Ryan told him.

The man nodded, as if judging his answers to be the right ones. "Then there is one more monster you have to save." He tilted his head in the direction of the catacombs. "Go to the room where you first woke up here and you will find them. You might even find what you've forgotten as well."

"Good," Ryan said, "I was gonna head in that direction anyway."

The man let out a breath. "Then I guess the last thing to do is wish you luck."

A clatter behind him made him turn. On the table there was a slice of pie, fork sticking out of the top. He turned back to find the man gone.

Taking the pie, he made his way to the catacombs, feeling far more confident than he had the last time he had been there.

 

His first step into the catacombs felt like a breach of sacred ground. And, he supposed, in a way it was. Within rested the monsters who died in those early days of the Underground, when fear of humanity was still strong and hope was all but extinguished. He had never asked monsters what their view on the afterlife was, or if they even had one, but there was certainly a measure of respect and honor for the dead. It was the way of monsters, in all things. As well, it was a telling example of a desire shared by both species: to be remembered.

The catacombs kept with the pattern of permanence that the rest of that part of the Underground held, and if anything it had the most reason to. Not many monsters came that way, and the few he knew who did at the time of his arrival had since moved on to bigger and better things. As he made his way through the ancient halls, backtracking through disarmed traps and dismantled floors, he spared a thought for the first pair of monsters he had met after Toriel. The Loox had warned him against the path he had inevitably tread. He wondered what they would have thought of him now, and what they thought about what he had done to get there.

Jumping down a hole in the ground to the floor below, he found a familiar shape lying amongst a pile of leaves. "'Sup Nabstablook?" he asked the ghost as he straightened from his landing.

He could not tell whether the ghost had been asleep or not. He did not move, but he groaned in response. "I have no idea what you're talking about… I'm not here… The barrier is still up… Nothing in my life has changed…"

Ryan chuckled at his friend's unnecessary distress. "Well, I won't try to drag you out of here against your will, but you should probably know that Mettaton's looking for you."

That got the ghost to rise up a little. "Mettaton?"

"Yeah, he said he was looking for your help with something."

"Me?" The ghost perked up further until he was practically in the ceiling. "Oh… I guess I should go see what he wants then…" He floated down a little bit so he was eye level with Ryan. "Thanks… For telling me, I mean."

"No problem."

Nabstablook departed. Ryan nodded to himself and continued on his way.

He kept on until he reached a room with small table tucked against the wall. He leaned down from a spot across from it and pulled the bag he had purchased in Snowdin from his pocket. Inside was a small wedge of cheese that he left on the floor. "Sorry it took so long," he said. "I'm starting to learn that most things take a lot longer than you expect them to." He stood up. "See you on the surface little buddy."

In the room beyond he was met with another familiar shape. "Well, well, well. Look who came crawling back?" the talking rock gloated as soon as Ryan was across the bridge. "Finally come to apologize for-" The voice was cut off as Ryan kicked the rock over onto its side. "What the heck was that for?" Ryan ignored the mostly inanimate monster and continued his way to the other side of the room. "Hey, wait! You can't just leave me like this!" He smirked as he turned the corner beyond the doorway. Of course he would come back and fix it, but first he would let the rock stew a little.

 

He emerged from the catacombs and into the cave beyond. The air was still, more still than he remembered it being before. Torches along the carved stone behind him held their flames steady, flicking only slightly in response to his intrusion. He descended the stairs beyond and paused at the other end of the cave. He had forgotten that an extensive maze lay just beyond, one that he had needed Toriel to guide him through when he first fell down. He hesitated.

That same pulling sensation from before returned, tugging him onward. He let his steps be guided, trusting whatever it was that led him. It had not done him wrong yet, it deserved some of his trust. And eventually he reached the end.

He found himself standing once more in a familiar room. Midday light streamed in from the crack in the stone above. The patch of grass at the center of the cave lay vacant, and an alien feeling of disappointment fell over him. The feeling lasted only a moment before the tugging returned, and he continued on.

At last, he reached the room where he had first fallen into a world that by all logic should not exist. The place where his strange journey had begun, where he had left his old life behind for something better, something bigger. And as promised, he was not alone.

At its center, standing over the patch of golden flowers, was a young monster. Short, white fur covered them. They wore a green and yellow striped shirt and dark pants. The monster's head was down, long ears dangling over his face, and it turned in surprise as he heard someone enter the cave. "Ryan," the monster said, big emerald eyes looking up at the human who joined him in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

For a moment, Ryan just looked back down at him. "I'm sorry, have we met before?" he asked awkwardly.

The young monster looked confused for a moment and then his eyes went to the ground. "No, we haven't," he answered. "I saw you in New Home once."

Ryan nodded. "Ah, that explains it." He looked up at the sky peeking in from above them. "As for why I'm here, this is how I got here, if could believe it."

"That's quite the fall," the young monster said.

"It is," Ryan agreed. "I still have no idea how I lived through it. But I guess it hardly matters now. It seems closer than I remember." Ryan commented as they stared up at the fissure in the rock above them.

"Probably has something to do with the barrier," the child said. "It did some weird things to the space of this place."

He looked back down at the monster. He seemed sad. It was a sadness Ryan knew all too well. "Pie?" he offered, holding out the plate. His offer went ignored. The monster's mind seemed elsewhere. "Sorry if I was intruding on anything. You probably wanted to be alone if you came all the way out here."

The monster shook his head, ears flopping slightly from side to side. "It's alright," he said.

Ryan took a bite of the pie himself as he thought of what to say next. "If you don't mind me asking, what does bring you all the way here? The barrier's been destroyed you know."

"I know," the monster said, "but it doesn't really matter to me."

"Why not?"

"Because I shouldn't be alive."

Ryan raised a brow at that. "Well, neither should I, as we've established. And yet, here I am, still going. And you seem to be too."

"It's different," the monster argued plainly. "But it's okay. You can go on without me. Someone should stay and take care of these flowers."

Ryan knelt down in front of the monster. "Wouldn't you rather see the surface with all the other monsters? Don't you have a family you'd like to see it with?"

The young monster squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before answering. "I've already seen the surface, and I'm not like other monsters. I can't go with them."

"Why not?" Ryan asked again.

"Because I have no soul. I lost it a long time ago."

The young monster turned his back to Ryan. He knelt down and picked one of the flowers. Ryan thought he saw a drop hit the petals. He stood and went over so he was sitting with the child. "That's an interesting thought. And what makes you think that?"

"I died, a long time ago," he said, still looking at the flower. "That's why I shouldn't be here now, and why I won't be very soon."

Ryan scratched his chin in thought for a moment. "Hmm… I suppose that makes sense. Except that it isn't true," he told him.

The monster's eyes were drawn back up to his at the words. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, the fact that you're here now at all proves that you have a soul, or at least part of one. And I have proof to back that up too, though admittedly most of it isn't on me."

"What?" the monster breathed.

Ryan nodded. "The Royal Scientist and I spent weeks proving it. You see, she's been looking into the nature of the soul for a while now. At one point she thought she had been able to bring a plant to consciousness, but had since been unable to replicate the result. So we began to think that something else must have happened, and we were able to prove one thing as definite: souls can be broken apart and put back together, but a consciousness can't form around nothing. Life doesn't work that way. So if you're here, then you have a soul as sure as the sun is shining above our heads and that this pie is delicious."

The child's eyes glossed over. "No, it can't be…"

"It's true, Asriel," Ryan told him firmly. "You've always had a piece of you left. And that's why I know you can come back. That's what I was going to tell you before you disappeared."

Asriel looked up at him again. "How do you..?"

"You didn't really think you could make me forget, did you?" he chuckled. "Well, you almost did, but not all of me." He reached out for the amulet around his neck unconsciously.

Ryan had been hoping his surprise would occupy the monster for a moment longer, but he quickly jumped back to the other matter. "No, Ryan… I can't come back. Even if what you say is true, I can't keep myself like this. Whatever I have, it's not enough to stay my old self. I'll still just be the same flower as before."

Ryan smirked. "Tell me, prince of monsters, what is it said a monster's soul is made out of?"

"Love, hope and compassion," the monster answered as if reciting from a book. "Three things I've lacked for a long time."

"True enough," Ryan agreed. "It is also said that human souls are made up of much more, enough that they are capable of existing without those things." He took the amulet off of his neck and handed it to Asriel. "This was Chara's last gift to you, as I understand."

Asriel rubbed his thumb over the red heart shaped gem as his eyes went wide. "I never got it from him… I thought he had lost it."

"Well, now it is my gift you as well," Ryan went on. "Into it I have poured all of my love, hope and compassion. And I give it to you."

"What?" the monster said. "How?"

"Another experiment of Alphys's and mine; our greatest achievement," he explained. "She had discovered a way to isolate a part of the soul, a part she believed was responsible for allowing human souls to be strong enough to persist after death."

"Determination," Asriel interjected. "That's what brought me back."

Ryan nodded and went on. "It was my belief that if one part of a soul could be separated from the rest than other parts could be just the same. Alphys wanted to start with something simpler, but I convinced her to help me with this, because I had another thought as well." Ryan pointed to the amulet. "What you hold in your hand is not only proof that I was right and that other parts of the soul can be separated, we belief it is also proof of where monsters once came from. They came from humans. Or, more accurately, human souls."

The look on the young monster's face was much the same as Ryan figured his own must have been when he first realized the implication. "From… humans?" he said slowly.

"That's what we drew from it anyway," Ryan went on. "Most of the theory is speculation at this point, but Alphys hopes to prove it one day.

"You see, on the surface, magic doesn't exist. Or at least it hasn't in my or any other living human's life time. But I now think that at one point it must have, and that long ago the souls of all humans were visible just as mine now, and I think it had to do with magic. And because of the strength of our souls and that magic, they were able to persist even after death. But nothing can last forever. Everything, even magic and souls start to break down over time, and in the case of souls, they shed pieces of themselves until only the strongest parts of us remained: things like love, hope and compassion. And by some process we have yet to figure out, the first monsters were born from these remnants getting swirled together with magic to give them new bodies and new lives.

"It explains a lot, when you think about it. Why monsters' souls are so much weaker, why I can only use magic that I draw from myself while monsters can draw from almost anywhere, why monsters tend to model themselves after humans so much in terms of their tendencies and behavior. I think that after the barrier went up, magic began to decay on the surface until everything was forgotten. Then, by some other miracle, it was brought back to life in a game. A game that led me to you."

Asriel seemed to be trying to wrap his head around all of the information at once. "I don't understand," he said finally. "Why tell me all of this? Why give this to me?" He thrust the amulet back at Ryan, but Ryan pushed it back to the monster.

"Don't you see Asriel? This is proof that you were right, that monsters and humans can exist together, because in a way we always have. And now you know you can come back, to see that dream made into a reality."

The young monster's mouth hung open his head slowly swung back and forth with every one of Ryan's words. "No," he said, "I can't! I tortured you, killed you over and over again; killed everyone. How can you forgive me like this? How can I expect everyone else to forgive me for what I did?"

Ryan put a hand on the monster's shoulders to settle him. "When you… when Flowey captured me, it broke me; broke my determination, broke my will to keep going. In my insanity, I could feel not only my body being torn apart but my soul as well, and I became a monster, a real monster. But my friends were able to pull me back. They were able to remind me why I fought, why I had endured so much hardship." Ryan pressed his hand to the light peeking out his shirt. "I learned that sometimes you just need to believe in people, even if they don't believe in themselves, and then maybe one day, they'll start to."

"Ryan…" Asriel ran his fingers over the gem again. It pulsed softly with white light, as if calling to him. "Can I really go back?" he asked himself.

"That's up to you," Ryan told him. "I can merely supply the means, you have to decide. At one point I might not have taken no for an answer, but I learned along the way that I can't drag you back no matter how much I'd like to. You need to make the choice, but I will say, wouldn't you rather be with them, helping protect them, than staying down here unable to do anything?"

"But, I'm not me anymore," the young monster argued. "I've been through too much to go back to who I was. I _can't_ be who I was."

Ryan chuckled. "That's called growing up, Asriel. Time passes, and we all change. I'm hardly the same person I was before I fell down here. But, despite anything, you will still always be you."

Asriel closed his eyes and turned towards the sky. "If that's true, then I don't really like who I've become."

"Then make yourself better," Ryan told him. "That's what I did, that's what we all deserve a chance to do. And I think that was what I was meant to see by falling down here." He leaned back to lie in the flowers. "I won't lie, Asriel, I want you to come back. We've both been through quite a lot, and most of it were things out of our control, some of it were things that neither of us probably deserve a second chance because of, but if I've been given one, than you deserve one too."

Silence grew between them, and Ryan let it sit. He gave the young monster a chance to let everything he told him sink in. "Ryan, I know your reasons are your own, but why did you climb the mountain the day you fell down?" Asriel asked him eventually.

Ryan turned his head away from the sky though he felt he was staring even further into the distance now. He briefly recalled Toriel asking him the same question the first night. He had only given her a partial answer that day. "At the top of the mountain is this lookout," he began. "The view from it is absolutely beautiful. You can see for miles all around you, the whole valley."

Asriel nodded. "I've seen it, and you're right; it was beautiful."

"A few years ago," Ryan went on, "while I was getting ready to move out of my home town, I dragged a few of my friends up there with me. As we looked out to the world I told them I could tell that those next few years would be some of the best we've had yet." He could still picture that day, it had been a good one, and for more reasons than just their hiking trip. He paused to take a breath before going on. "They weren't," he finished.

"The past couple of years almost broke all of us, but somehow we each made it through them, for better or for worse. So now, whenever I get the chance when I come up and visit, I climb to that lookout point and gaze over that ledge to open world beyond and I think to myself 'you haven't killed me yet.'

"One of those times I suddenly woke up down here. But I made a decision after that. I would leave my past on the surface, make a new life here, one not bound by pain and regrets I can do nothing about. Down here I felt like could be someone different."

Ryan looked back Asriel to find him laughing. "You're name isn't really Ryan, is it?"

He smiled. "No, but it might as well be now. I've grown pretty attached to it. My point though is that I was wrong, I haven't become someone else, I simply made the person I was better."

Asriel continued to giggle. "I was wrong," he said. "You really aren't anything like Chara." He paused a moment after saying the name, as though wishing he could take it back. "You probably already know this, but Chara wasn't the greatest person," he continued. "I know why he climbed the mountain. It wasn't for a very happy reason. The life Chara had before falling down here, it made him hate humanity. I never really understood why, but Chara felt very strongly about it.

"You're nothing like that. I think you're the type of friend I'd always wished I had, and so maybe I was kind of projecting a bit. I first saw you and thought 'maybe Chara survived this whole time, and now he's all grown up.'

"Let's be honest, I did some weird stuff as a flower."

That time it was Ryan's turn to laugh. "That's one way of putting it, I suppose. So, what do you say?"

Asriel stared at the life in his hand, his life. "What would we do?" he asked.

"I don't know," he told him truthfully. "There's still a lot that needs to be figured out. I think the best we can do is play it by ear. But, I think we'll be fine, as long as we follow two rules."

"What rules?"

Ryan counted on his fingers. "Don't kill, and don't be killed. As long as we try our best within that, I think we can do anything we want."

"You make it sound easy."

"Good, maybe I'll even start believing it will be, though I doubt it. The world up there is a mess, and it will fight back against any change we try to make to it with everything it has. As someone once put it for me, there are a lot of Floweys up there. Still, beats sitting in a cave."

The monster thought for a few minutes longer. "What if it's too much?" he asked next. "What if I go back to thinking like I did before?"

"Then I'll stop you myself," he told him. "We all have our moments of weakness. You're not alone, Asriel. Not anymore."

There was another stretch of silence. "I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself for what I did, and for being selfish enough to take a second chance I don't think I deserve on top of that. It shouldn't be up to me to make decisions for anyone, not after everything."

"We won't be making decisions for anyone. We'll just be making sure their decisions don't get anyone killed."

"And do you really think we can do it?"

"We won't know unless we try. Now, come on. Your mom and dad are waiting for us."

He actually got a smile from the monster. "Do you really think they'll believe it's me?"

"Of course, they're your parents. And once they see you, it'll prove once and for all that you're still you."

Asriel took a deep breath. "Okay," he said. The amulet in his hand started to glow even brighter. He put it around his neck. "Okay."

Light spread all over the monster's body. It filled him until he became a pure white silhouette. He looked down at his hands in confusion and shock as he began to change. The light rose, growing taller and other parts of him grew as well. Then, the light faded, and Asriel stood in the flowers once more, only now he looked older. The closeness of his form to that of a human put him in Ryan's mind to be in his early teens. He was nearly half a foot taller. The lines of his face had grown sharper, horns now grew a palm's width out of the top of his head, and his clothes were now far too small on him. His shirt barely reached midway down his forearms and left his furry stomach bare and his pants were no more than halfway down his calves. Altogether he looked ridiculous, and Ryan could not help but laugh.

"What happened?" The monster asked, sounding more than a little shocked.

Ryan thought of a possible explanation as he continued to laugh. "Well, boss monsters age based on their magical strength, right? I guess I was just a bit stronger than you were."

"I look ridiculous!" the monster shouted. "I can't see my parents after all this time like this!"

"Oh, don't be melodramatic," Ryan told him as he tossed the monster his button-down and put a hand on his shoulder. "I dated a tailor for almost a year. So let's get you some clothes that fit, and then let's show your parents just how much you've grown."

The two walked out of the cave and back into the Underground.

Together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we start to wrap things up.   
> Not gonna lie, I have some concessions with this one. There were some bits I felt I couldn't make sound right for the life of me, but that's how it goes sometimes, I guess. You can never really strive for perfection with this sort of stuff. You just have to get it to a point that's good enough that you just have to let it go. This was hardly the first time it's happened either, but it being the ending and everything… well, I'm a little disappointed regardless.  
> Life goes on either way.  
> Song for this one is Homebound by Feint.
> 
> Also what's this? A new character that could be foreshadowing something? Who knows ~


	62. Reunited

"Unfortunately I don't have anything green or yellow," Ryan told Asriel as he dug through the drawers of his dresser back in his old room. The journey back to Toriel's home had been relatively uneventful. Asriel had still seemed to be in a state of shock as well as having some difficultly working out how to move with actual limbs again, so they took it slow and took it quietly. But since they had made it back to the house, he had seemed at least slightly more animated – and monstrously more talkative – which Ryan saw as a good sign. "You can imagine why they were avoided," he went on, "so your usual style is out, I'm afraid."

The monster prince stood near the bed investigating some other shirts Ryan had already picked out for him that were strewn out over top it. "That's fine," he said as he lifted one of them up. Ryan noted with a measure of nostalgia that it was the shirt he had been wearing when he had first fallen down. Asriel stared at The Guy's snarling visage on the Disturbed concert tee with a measure of his own disturbance. "I think I'll be avoiding those colors from now on too," he continued, tossing the shirt back on the bed. "Moreover, what is it with you and black?"

"What?" Ryan said defensively. "Black goes with everything."

"So does white," the monster argued, "and it leaves better impression on people. At least, according to my mom it does."

Ryan turned and raised an eyebrow at the half-naked monster. Pants had been easy enough to figure out. Ryan only owned jeans, and at the time of his falling he had the figure of an emaciated fourteen year old himself. So, with a few inches trimmed off, the pants now fit him perfectly. "Are we really gonna argue fashion right now?" he questioned. "I can still make you march all the way to the castle in your old clothes you know."

"Hey, I was just trying to make conversation. You're the one who decided to take it personally." The monster stuck his tongue out at Ryan who was in half a mind to set him on fire. Deciding that would be a waste, however, he turned back to the drawer.

Ryan was finding that, despite regaining his old body, the boy had retained the flower's mouth. He briefly wondered what Toriel's reaction to that would be. Probably to blame him, he realized. Oh well, he could live without his own tongue for a few minutes.

"Here," he said, tossing another shirt over his shoulder. It hit the monster in the face as his attempt to grab it overshot a bit. Ryan smirked. A lesson from Undyne: the best way to learn is from practical experience seasoned heavily with embarrassment. "Simplest thing I got," he went on, playing off as though it were an accident.

Asriel pulled the shirt off of his head with a groan and looked it over. It was a plain black T-shirt without any adornment aside from a single red stripe across the chest. Toriel had insisted that giving him clothing meant for children was to help with his cover. He was pretty sure she just refused to see him as anything but.

The prince shrugged and pulled it on. Ryan stepped up to him and inspected the fit. He ran his hands over the sleeves, the sides and the hem and the shirt came away like it was cut just for him.

"You want anything else?" Ryan asked. "Jacket or something with sleeves? We will be going through Snowdin."

"Nah, I'll be fine," he said. The monster was glancing around the room again like he had when they had first arrived. Ryan could tell he was still not sure how he felt about all of this. He decided to give him a moment. Eventually he looked back at the human, leaning against the wall and grinning at the monster. "You ready to go then?" he asked, slightly embarrassed.

"You don't want a minute? I've already said my goodbyes, but if you'd like…" The monster shook his head, which surprised Ryan. Then again, he could understand not wanting to face everything right way. "In that case, I guess we should get on our way."

They left Toriel's home behind. Asriel took one last look over his shoulder as he paused in the doorway before he followed Ryan down to the path to the rest of the Underground. They stopped as they passed the city of Home, now empty. It was sad to see the streets lie abandoned, even if it could not have been for a better reason.

"My parents always said that no matter what happened there would always be monsters that would refuse to leave this city," Asriel told him. "Dad liked to joke that it was because they had too much pride for it, but I know he worried it was because they were too afraid. I'm glad he was wrong about that."

"Guess the thought of freedom was too enticing," Ryan commented. "Or they haven't actually realized what they're in for yet."

Asriel shook his head. "It's because they believe you'll protect them. You took their fear away, Ryan. You made this possible."

Ryan snorted at that. "You give me too much credit."

"I'm serious. You were able to do what I tried to do for two years while I was alive, and took me countless rounds of trial and error as Flowey, without even trying. They trust you, all of them. I could feel it while I had all of their souls. They'd follow you anywhere now, through anything."

Ryan mulled that thought over in his head for a moment. "Well, that's quite the responsibility," he said finally. "Good thing I'm not alone then, huh?" He rubbed the monster's head and turned away from city. If he kept staring any longer, he did not think he would be able to leave after all.

They entered the tunnel that led to Snowdin. The pathway was lit with far more torches than Ryan remembered passing on his arrival. He guessed the others must have left some when they departed. Ryan turned to Asriel, whose eyes were on the ground. "How are you feeling?" he asked the monster.

"Weird," he said simply.

"Describe it for me."

"My body feels like it's burning slightly."

"Ah," Ryan said as he understood. "Anxiety. Makes sense, considering everything. What are you thinking about?"

"What I should tell everyone."

Ryan considered that for a moment himself. "I suppose that's up to you, really. We could tell most of them practically anything. Alphys does know about the flower, though I don't think she knows it was you. And Sans knows pretty much everything, but I'm pretty sure he'll keep his mouth shut as long as you don't try to destroy the world anymore."

"Right…" Asriel said awkwardly.

"Well, whatever you decide, I'll go along with it, but I think you should at least consider telling them the truth. It might be for the best, in the long run." The temperature around them began to rapidly decrease and as they stepped out of the tunnel and into the winter forest beyond, Ryan decided to turn the subject to something a little brighter in the dim cavern.

He looked over the trees that towered above them and remembered the first time he had seen them in person. It was amazing how much less foreboding it all seemed now. "You know, I used to hate all of this," he began. "Cold, the snow, winter. I could never be comfortable in it. Now, this is probably my favorite place in the world." As he spoke, snow began to fall lazily from above. The light flutter drifted slowly through the still air to fall all around them. Ryan looked down at Asriel to see him staring up past the treetops as the flakes dotted his fur. "They say when it snows here that it's a good omen," he said idly.

Asriel's face split into a smile. "Yeah, they do." He opened his mouth and held out his tongue to catch the flakes that fell from above.

 

The two made their way deeper into the forest, following a vague path that Ryan would have known how to travel blindfolded. He thought back to his first day in that forest again, how strange and mystical it seemed. Now he had explored nearly every inch of it and he felt more at home there than he ever had anywhere on the surface. They traveled up steep cliff sides, through iced over clearings, purposely avoided the area he had spent his time training, and meandered their way to the cliff where the town proper resided.

Along the way, the two were standing at the edge of a cliff. Below them, the forest stretched out seemingly forever. The white dusting of fresh snow looking like the foamy surf on a sea of green. Closer below them, a frozen stream cut through the trees, looking like a clear crystal geode that grew straight out of the cave itself.

"So the colors start spinning up," Ryan was saying, "and I'm trying to remember more than two of the dozen or more things he had just listed off, and I'm thinking to myself, 'this is gonna hurt.' Then the thing stops and it's just a solid path straight down the middle and I can't help but fall to the ground laughing. I mean, what are the odds!" He laughed even more at the memory.

"You wanna know a secret?" Asriel said as he finished giggling along to Ryan's story. "That was me."

Ryan reached down and scooped some snow off of the ground. "Really? I would have thought it was Sans," he said as he packed it into a ball. With a quick spell of air, he launched the snow away from him and tried to track its path as it fell below the trees.

The monster shook his head. "No, I had figured that trap would just be boring and take too long, so I rigged it to do that just before you got there."

"That's impressive," Ryan watch the prince bend down to the snow as well.

"Not really," he said as he gathered his own snow into a ball. "I know how all of Alphys's machines work, even the ones she hasn't built this time around." He pulled his arm back to throw but the motion proved too awkward and the snowball landed just beyond his feet as he let go too late. He glared down at in frustration.

"You'll get the hang of it," Ryan assured him. "Out of curiosity, how much of everything _was_ you?"

"Not as much as you're probably thinking now," Asriel promised. His eyes narrowed as he looked out over the forest. "Is there someone over there?" He pointed out to another cliff face a short ways away from them.

Ryan followed the monster's gaze and spotted the dark speck that seemed to be separate from all of the rest trees. He ran through his mental list of monsters he knew ventured out this far, but did not think the shadow fit any of them. "I'll go check it out," he said. "You stay here." He readied to spring off the cliff but hesitated and turned back to the monster. "You will still be here when I get back, right?"

Asriel rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Yes, mom."

With a single leap, Ryan covered half the distance between him and his destination. His own enhancement magic, plus a little cheating with the wind, allowed him a freedom of movement most only dreamed of.

Freedom. It was novel concept for everyone now, he supposed. He remembered standing on the steps of the castle and feeling like the entire city might fly away with their excitement like he flew over the trees now. This was a day of victory for all of them, but it was one for him most of all. The outcome of this day had loomed over his head for a year, but now that chapter was finally over.

It was easy to get lost in his satisfaction, however. There was still much worked to be done, and he was reminded of that every time he looked in the prince's eyes. He knew that look, of feeling out of place, like you don't belong there or anywhere. He knew it would not be as easy as him saying yes and everything suddenly being perfect, but he deserved to soar as high as everyone else that day. As he spun another spell to slow his decent through the trees, an idea came to him that he stored away for later.

A second leap covered the rest of the distance and he touched down a short ways away from where he had spotted the figure. As he landed, he thought the place looked familiar to him, and took him a moment to remember. It was the place where he had found Snowy the day he had been led off by Flowey's trap. The first day he thought he would never be able to see the forest again. He had been wrong that day, but now he realized that day was much the same. The realization saddened him somewhat. Once more, it seemed a shame that such amazing places would be abandoned for a world that, to him, seemed so much more mundane. He turned back to the other cliff where his enhanced eyesight could make out Asriel looking up at one of the trees near where he had left him. He smiled to himself. He would just have to make his own wonders up there.

He walked along the edge of the cliff until he came upon the figure he had seen from afar. It was not what he had been expecting. It was a snowman, coal eyes and carrot nose and all. It seemed to smile at both him and the view at the same time. He walked over to the figure to see if perhaps someone else was there as well and it started talking to him. "So it is finally time," the snowman said in a deep baritone. "The barrier has fallen." Its mouth did not move as it spoke, but this was not a unique case for monsters so Ryan accepted it readily enough.

He joined the snowman in staring out at the trees again. "It has," he confirmed.

"Alas, I am stuck here. Human," Ryan turned to the snow, "I have a request for you," The monster went on. "Please, take a piece of me with you to the surface."

Ryan looked at the snowman curiously for a moment, but agreed to the request. "Of course." He took a scoop of the snowman's middle, patted it into a sphere and held it in his hand as he tried to figure out how he could keep it from melting. It was not long before an idea come to him. He tossed the ball up and quickly pushed all of the air away from it. Then he tied off a shield around it. As it landed back in his hand, it looked like a gray plastic had formed around the surface, the vacuum he had created within should keep it cold for as long as it remained. "Take a physics class, kids," he said to himself, and then, louder, said to the snowman, "I'll make sure it ends up in a place with a view just as good as this."

"That would be nice. Thank you human, I wish you happiness in all your days to come."

"Same."

He departed from the snowman and joined Asriel once again. The monster prince was now leaning against a tree a little ways from where he had left him. He held a small flame out before him, seeming to study it. "I can still use magic the same way as before," he said as he saw Ryan approach.

"Were you worried you couldn't?" Ryan asked.

The flame split into two and he spun them around each other. "Most of my power does come from a human now," he reminded.

"True, but none of what I gave you is what makes someone human."

Asriel chuckled and let the fire fall away as he straightened again. "Honestly, it would be a scary thought if I was suddenly more like a human."

Ryan patted the monster on the shoulder as he joined him again. "Let's not think about that, shall we?"

 

They entered Snowdin Town to find it all but abandoned as well. The bustle from when Ryan had been there a short time ago was gone. Most of the houses now stood dark. Whispers of smoke still escaped a few chimneys, but none told of fires still going on inside. The snow of the streets had been packed down by a high volume of foot traffic, more than the town's denizens alone would be capable of. "Dang, I figured we'd catch up with the rush from the Ruins by now," Ryan commented. They stood beneath the tree in the town's center. Strings of lights still hung from its branches, no one having bothered to turn them off.

"Afraid you just missed them sweetie," a voice from behind him said. Ryan recognized it immediately. He turned to find Sallie's mother standing behind him. Her two sisters, the innkeeper and the shopkeeper, at her shoulders. The innkeeper's child hid between their mother's legs looking up at him sheepishly. "We offered them all a good dose of Snowdin hospitality, but that didn't keep them long. They were too eager to get on, it seemed. And what do you know, they managed to sweep up everyone here along with them."

"Some of them were quite appreciative of the help clearing this place out," The shopkeeper added. "I got a few of those Looxes to help me with my inventory. But, yeah. Pretty much everyone's up and gone now."

"So what made you three stay behind?" Ryan asked not unkindly.

"We wanted to take one last look around," Sallie's mom told him. "We've lived here longer than most, watched it go from just a few homes among trees to a proper community. It's sad to have to leave it behind."

"Yeah," Ryan agreed. "I've been thinking that a lot too."

It was only then they noticed he was not alone. Ryan saw that they were looking at him strangely and he glanced over his shoulder to find Asriel trying to be invisible behind him. "Manage to pick up a straggler?" the shopkeeper asked him.

"Something like that," Ryan told her as he pulled Asriel next to him.

Ryan heard all three of gasp simultaneously. Their eyes went wide as they recognized Ryan's companion. Asriel's own eyes stayed glued to the snow at his feet, refusing to look at them. Ryan could tell by the hand on his shoulders that the monster wanted to run if he could. He was gonna have to get used to this though.

There was a long moment before the silence was broken. "Mommy, who's that?" the child asked up to the dumbstruck innkeeper.

She did not say anything right away. "Could it really be…?" she trailed off.

"Howdy," Asriel said quietly. "Yeah, it's me."

"Prince Asriel…" they said in disbelief.

"But how?" Sallie's mother asked. "Everyone thought you were dead."

"Turns out he was only _mostly_ dead," Ryan told them, smirking. "There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead." Asriel shot him a look, and for a moment Ryan feared he had somehow gotten the reference.

"I don't understand," Sallie's mother went on. "What happened? It's been decades, and you look barely any older than when I last saw you. My daughter was still in swaddling then."

Asriel's mouth opened and closed several times before he finally answered. "It's a long story," was his response.

"This is all still a pretty big shock to him too," Ryan cut in before they could ask anything further. "I wouldn't interrogate him over it just yet." The three, thankfully, seemed to accept his words. He hoped Asriel would be able to come up with something better than _that_.

The bunny child, who was no longer hiding behind their mother, tugged on Asriel's shirt. Everyone's attention went to them. "You look like a tiny King," they said. The words seemed to melt the monster's tension slightly.

The prince knelt down in the snow so he was eye level with the child. "Have you ever met the king?" he asked softly.

The kid shook their head. "He's playing hide and seek, and he's very good at it."

"Is that so?" Asriel raised a hand over the child. He hesitated for the briefest moment before patting them on the head. "Then I'll be sure to find him."

"Are you gonna go to the surface with us?" the child asked next.

Asriel looked up at Ryan that time. Ryan smiled down at him and the monster nodded. "You bet I am," he told the child.

"We should all probably get going," Ryan spoke up.

The child ran back over to their mother who scooped them up into her arms. "I can't say I understand what's going on," she said, "but I've already lived through one miracle today, so why not a second?" Her sisters seemed to agree. They quickly went into a conversation about various monsters that would have wished they had stayed behind a little longer to see what they had seen.

"One request," Ryan chimed in, breaking up their talk. "Can you keep this quiet for the moment. We want it to be a surprise."

The three sisters smiled to one another. "We understand completely," they said. "Our lips are sealed. Oh, one of your friends left a message with us. He said 'Whatever you're doing better be important, because if I have to deal with whoever this woman is you left me any longer I will seal you back down here myself.' He seemed to have attracted that young Ayame's attention. If so, then I wish him luck."

"I think he seemed to be enjoying himself," they joked.

The sisters and child departed, leaving Ryan and Asriel alone once again in the square at the center of town. The lights around the tree continued to blink in the twilight of the silence.

"You're shaking," Ryan noticed as he looked down at Asriel. "That didn't scare you too much, did it?"

"No, it's just cold," the monster told him.

"I asked you if you wanted another shirt."

The prince shook his head. "I want to feel the cold."

Ryan was about to ask him why then shut his mouth, and they continued on their way.

"Do you really think they'll keep this a secret?" Asriel asked after they were almost out of the town.

"Nope," Ryan said frankly. "Those three are probably the biggest gossips in the Underground."

The prince looked at Ryan slightly taken aback. "Then why did we tell them all of that?"

"Because that's the point." Ryan winked at the prince and started to walk a little faster. A moment later, Asriel trudged up behind. "We should probably take the long way from here on out," he went on. "Don't want to run into too many other monsters just yet. We want your entrance to be grand; believable, but still unexpected."

Asriel let out a breath. "Why do I feel like you're getting way too much enjoyment out of this?"

Ryan looked back over his shoulder at the prince. "Because I am."

 

They took one of the many paths less traveled through Waterfall. By that point, Ryan had built up quite an extensive knowledge of its tunnels from his nightly explorations during his time training. As they made their way through the falls and along the streams near the top, Ryan was telling stories of those times, mainly about the hardships Undyne had put him through, so he should not have been surprised when he was interrupted.

"Hey Ryan?" Asriel spoke up. "This may be sudden but, why did you go through everything that you did just for me?"

Ryan stared down the tunnel as he thought. He should have expected this question at some point. "I told you, didn't I? I made it my mission to save everyone."

Asriel called him out on his bluff though. "But that wasn't always you reason. Why did you do it before all of that?"

For a moment, he considered lying to him, but ultimately saw no reason to. "Selfishness," he told him simply.

"What does that mean?"

"Just that. I did it for myself, really." He could see that would not be enough for the monster, so he elaborated. "Once upon a time, I had this stupid idea in my head that if the people around me weren't happy then I didn't deserve to be happy either. I fell down here knowing what would happen, knowing about you. I felt I had to do something, I felt I had the power to change what would happen to you. I couldn't just give that up and let you stay the way you were."

"That hardly sounds selfish," Asriel commented.

"I did it just to justify my own happiness," he reiterated. "I'd say that's a pretty bad excuse. On top of that, I did it because I wanted to prove that it could be done. The game told me I couldn't save you, so I wanted to prove it wrong. I didn't even spare a second thought about how you felt about the whole thing until the end."

The prince was quiet as he considered Ryan's words. He did not seem to expect Ryan's motives to be the most noble, but he guessed he had expected more than that. "So what were you going to do," he asked next, "if you hadn't discovered what you had?"

"Originally, I was just going to give you my soul, even though I had no idea if that would even work either. If it didn't and you stayed a flower, I probably would have just stayed with you down here; kept you entertained."

"You wouldn't have…"

"Killed you?" Ryan finished. "No. I don't think I'd have been able to let go of that possibility."

"Even if you grew to hate me?"

Ryan let out a breath. "None of these 'what if's matter anymore, Asriel. It isn't what happened, and it never will be. Save the overthinking for humans."

"I know…" The monster stopped walking. Ryan paused as he saw this. "Ryan," he said. "There's no way you'd ever be able to know if I used my power again or not. It would wipe your memories for real, wipe everyone's memories."

"I know," Ryan told him.

"Because of that, would you ever believe me when I say that I promise to never use it again, for anything?"

"Yes," Ryan said without hesitation.

Asriel seemed taken aback by this. "You will? But why?"

"Because I would rather trust people and be betrayed down the line than never have trusted anyone at all." He left it at that, turning and resuming his walk. Asriel followed behind soon after.

"So what changed?" he asked after a minute.

"Hmm?"

"What made you change how you saw happiness?"

_I was yelled at by a ghost,_ he thought to himself. "I learned the error of that mentality," he told him. "Robbing yourself of happiness doesn't magically give it to others, the world doesn't work that way. You need to share the happiness you have with others, make them a part of it."

They stopped at the edge of a dock, overlooking a dark lake and waited for the platform to come that would allow them to cross. "What if you don't have any to give?" Asriel asked.

"Then find some more," Ryan told him.

"Do you really think we can find it on the surface? Happiness?"

"Happiness is what you make of it, Asriel."

"But you just said it was something you had to find."

"It's both, really." The monster looked at him in confusion. "You'll get it one day," he told him.

"I hope you're right. I've spent so much time believing in Chara's view of everything that it's hard not to have doubts."

"You know," Ryan started with a measure of derision, "I've actually been thinking about all of this for a long time now, and I'd like to think that I have _some_ semblance of a plan."

Asriel looked up at him. "You do?"

He nodded. "I've come to believe that both of our species has a role to play in something greater. Monsters are peaceful creatures. They have a strong sense of morality and are accepting of change. They communicate openly and honestly with ease and are naturally empathetic to one another. Because of these things, they live pretty peaceful lives. But at the same time, they don't progress. As a society, monsters have remained largely unchanged for a millennium. They're stagnant, because they've had no need or desire to push themselves forward.

"Humans on the other had are far from peaceful. We are creatures of self-preservation first and foremost. We resent differences in one another, we are not easy to trust, we always believe we're right, and we always need to come out on top. For a time, these traits are what pushed us all forward, made us stronger, smarter, more advanced, but now we've reached a point where those traits just hinder us. We've come to a deadlock, and all we're accomplishing is destroying ourselves, like a bunch of stones grinding each other into dust.

"I think monsters will serve as the wakeup call humanity needs to let go of their neighbor's throat, to allow us to start moving forward again."

"You believe we're supposed to be like a conscious," Asriel restated as he understood.

Ryan nodded. "Or at least just a voice on the outside. So many of the bad habits we have are continued under the thought process of 'that's how it's always been done,' someone just needs to show them that there's another way to live. It won't be easy. They'll deny everything we say, ignore us, maybe even try to kill us."

"Then how are we going to do it?"

"I don't know," Ryan admitted. "But I'll be damned if I'm not gonna try."

Asriel chuckled. "My brother believed that it was hopeless, that if the barrier ever fell it could only ever be humans or monsters. He thought we could never exist together."

"Well, Chara was right, in a way. The way things are now, that's exactly how things would end up, eventually."

"Then what do we do?"

"Change things." He said it simply, like it was the easiest thing in the world, and he found that he meant it. And in that moment, it did seem that easy. He knew it was likely he could not make things perfect, but if he could make things better, that would be enough.

The platform arrived that would take them to the other side of the lake. Ryan let Asriel go first and let himself get lost in his own thoughts a moment longer. When he made it to the other side himself, he found that Asriel was not waiting for him. A moment of panic washed over him before he found the monster among the weeds some distance from the dock. He seemed to be searching for something.

Ryan hopped down to join him. The prince was indeed looking for something, parting the tall grasses and peering through them. "What-" Ryan began, but Asriel shushed him. He moved to the side and Ryan saw why. Tucked among the other plants was an echo flower. Asriel knelt down and listened Ryan did the same.

After a moment, it began. "What was that?" A voice he did not recognize asked.

"It's an echo flower," came Asriel's voice in response, sounding more than a little annoyed. "It will repeat the last thing said near it over and over again until someone else says something near it."

"Is it…?" the first voiced trailed off.

"Yes."

"Oh…"

Ryan heard Asriel sigh. "Well, it's too late now; you might as well say something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, like this: to whoever's listening, remember to be nice to someone today. Now you say something."

"I don't know what to say after that!"

"Just say anything, it doesn't matter."

"Okay… H-hi, umm… I hope you're having a good day? I am. I got to meet a baby today, and I got to see this place. It's beautiful, isn't it?"

The flower went silent and Asriel stood up. They made their way back to the dock in silence before Ryan asked. "That was Chara, wasn't it?"

The monster nodded. Ryan could see tears in his eyes. "I always thought this place was amazing," he said. "My parents once told me these caves became like this because one monster let their garden grow out of control near the beginning. Can you believe that?"

"Oh, I believe it." Ryan looked over the cave. "And you're right, this place is amazing. It's almost a shame we're leaving it behind."

"Maybe one day people will come back to live here," Asriel suggested.

"Maybe," Ryan agreed. "I honestly hope they do."

They continued down paths lined by underground streams, through the caverns filled with pillars higher than could be seen in the darkness connected by rope bridges – Ryan now knew a safe way down from that place that did not involve jumping into the rushing water far below. They crossed through the marshes lit by the blue glow of crystals and algae below the mirror still water. They purposely avoided the path that would take them past the city overlook, guessing it would be choked with passing traffic. They checked caves and places where they knew monsters made their homes to see if any were still straggling behind. They found none. They passed by Nabstablook's house once more. Mettaton was no longer outside and the windows were still dark.

Undyne's house was still on fire.

"Where are we heading now?" Asriel asked him after a while. "I know we wanted to go out of the way, but this is _really_ out of the way."

He was not wrong. They were down near the bottom of Waterfall now, nearly to the place where Ryan had first fought Undyne and near Hotland. "There's someone down here who I think will be very happy to see you," he told the prince. The monster down there should not be there at all, he had already sent him on his way earlier, but he had a suspicion he had not made it far yet.

"Who?" Asriel inquired.

"It's a surprise. Wait here."

Ryan stepped into the cave by himself. He could see a soft flickering light from around a corner, a fire. He smiled to himself. He knew he could not have gotten far. Turning the corner, he found that Gerson's camp was not any different than it had been when he had been there earlier. There had yet to even be an effort to pack all of his things. And Ryan quickly realized why.

There was no sign of the monster, not even his clothes. His pipe rested on a stone off to one side. Dust coated the ground near the fire pit, swirling with the ash and the dirt as the flames danced over logs that looked like they had just been thrown in. He had just missed him.

"Damn…" Ryan said to himself as he ran a hand over his head. "You're gonna make me do it after all, aren't you?" He felt tears coming to his eyes and tried to fight them back. At least he knew the old monster died happy.

"Hey Ryan, you alright?" Asriel called to him.

He wiped his eyes. He must have been standing there longer than he thought. He rejoined the prince at the mouth of the cave. "I was wrong," he told him, "they already left. Let's keep going."

 

They took the elevator before the lab up to the access tunnels between the core and the city. On their way up, Ryan regaled Asriel with his antics the first time he had come this way. He had suspected the monster to already know most of it, given he had suspected he had been watching him at the time, but he listened with attentiveness and with an air that told Ryan he had known none of it before that moment.

They made their way through the shafts and access ways without meeting another soul, through Mettaton's stages and deactivated laser arrays and up more elevators until they made it to a spot Ryan had been leading them too.

"Why don't we take a break?" he suggested.

Asriel looked up at him in confusion before glancing over the room before them. The floor was broken up into a grid of squares. Rusted steel girders connected the platforms to one another. Red light seeped up from the lake of molten rock far below, but not enough to make the cave any more than dim. Pipes and wires seemed to make up most of the tops of the platforms. Trickles of steam escaped some of them. "What is this place?" he asked.

"Someplace fun," Ryan answered plainly. "Wanna play tag?"

The monster looked up at him ruefully. "What do I look like, a little kid?"

"Dude, I'm in my twenties. Everyone is either a kid or an old fart, and you can never be too old for tag." He patted the monster on the head. "You're It."

Ryan ran to the edge of the platform before Asriel could make a move or say anything else. He stood over one of the pipes as he turned back to the monster who still stood where he had with a bewildered look on his face. Ryan smirked before he was launched into the air in a wash of steam, leaving the monster to be engulfed by the gloom.

 

Asriel watched Ryan fly away with a mixture of surprise and wonder. He quickly disappeared into the darkness beyond the first few platforms, leaving Asriel feeling truely alone for the first time since he had found him. At first, he did not know what to do, but after a moment, Ryan's voice called out, "You coming or what?"

Asriel was still not very used to his new… his old body. It had been a struggle not to trip and stumble with every step he took so far. He had been trying very hard to make sure Ryan did not notice, but he suspected he did. Or he had before he suggested this. He looked down at his hand; he had been doing that a lot. How long would it be before he stopped fearing that he would suddenly find them gone again? He clenched his fist and it took a moment for the fingers to follow his mind's command, almost like he had been drinking.

He did not feel weak, just awkward. He just needed to get used to it again. Maybe this would be the best way. He opened his hand, thinking about it less this time, and he felt less of a delay. He brought the tips of his fingers to his thumb one at a time and then snapped; a trick Chara had shown him. He rolled his shoulders and hopped in place a bit, letting himself feel his body for the first time since he had gotten it back. He focused on the warmth of the air, the feel of the dirt and metal beneath his feet, even the smell of rust and sulfur that permeated the humid air. He let himself feel alive.

"Alright," he said. He brought his weight back on one foot, simultaneously trying to remember how to run and trying not to think about it at the same time. Throwing aside his hesitation, he pushed off. His feet carried him to the vent Ryan had been standing over. The moment he stood over it, steam erupted into the air, sending him up with it. The force of it knocked him forward and he suddenly found himself upside down. Panic began to set in and he started to flail, his awkward body only making matters worse. Unconsciously, he reached out to magic and let it fill him.

His panic seemed to melt as energy surged within him. Instinct took over and he threw his weight to right himself. Once again his feet were beneath his head like they should be, but the act also threw him off from the vent meant to slow him down on the other side and he hit the platform hard.

He landed on his feet but was quickly tossed off of them and rolled onto his shoulder. A sharp pain cut through his arm as he rolled back to his feet, skidding to a halt. He looked down at his arm, now a mess of scratches leaking white light.

Ryan joined him on the platform a moment later, landing much more gracefully than the monster. "You okay?" he asked.

Asriel ignored him. He continued to watch his arm. The scratches seemed to be shrinking before his eyes, healing as if someone were casting magic on him. At the same time, he felt the magic that was in him dim, so he reached out for more and the healing seemed to speed up. "What the…?" he breathed.

"Determination," Ryan said who was now also looking over his arm as well. "Looks like you haven't lost that after all."

"But I thought healing was a part of your power," Asriel said.

He shrugged. "I guess since a part of you is from me now that you get that too."

Asriel thought about it for a moment. He had reached for enhancement magic before he had even registered it. It was a habit enforced by the Guard and a skill he had learned when he had spent a short time there with Chara. He had always had a knack for it, but it was not his resonance. Enhancement was Ryan's resonance. That time though, it had come to him much easier than it ever had before.

"What do you think that means?" Asriel asked.

"I don't know," he said, "but it's something we can look into later. Come on, let's keep going. Sorry for forcing you into this."

Asriel straightened and smacked Ryan on the arm before running to the other end of the platform. "Oh, no," he said. "We're not done yet." He jumped off the platform, laughing to himself, and their game continued.

 

They lost track of time over the course of their game. Things heated up quite quickly between them as Asriel took to his body more and more. It took Ryan getting a text that he was not sure was from Toriel or Sans to get him to realize just how much time had passed and they finished up and continued on their way. They left the cave with the platforms behind and plunged back into the darkness of the tunnels beyond.

It was not long before Asriel had to follow by ear. He could no longer see Ryan in front of him and the human did not make any sort of light to assist him. He remembered that the man hardly needed light to see, and he must have assumed that after what happened before that the prince no longer needed it as well. However, Asriel was quickly becoming unsure of his steps once again. He brought a small fire to his hand and regretted the decision almost immediately.

A tide of black seemed to recede from him. He looked down at his feet and the tide resolved itself into individual specks that it took his mind a moment to process what they were. Countless spiders surrounded him, he realized, sitting just beyond the light of his flame now. The floor around him was covered in web. He jumped back only to land in more webs hanging from the walls and the ceiling. It fell over him, sticking to his fur, causing him to jump again. The process repeated until the prince found himself caught, unable to move. He was trapped, and no amount of struggling was helping him.

As he tried in vain to pull his arms and legs back to him, he felt something brush up against his chin. "Well, isn't this unfortunate for you," a voice seemed to whisper in his ear. He had lost his light in his struggle and was back to seeing nothing, but he brought his light back in response to the voice. It revealed a spider monster that shrunk back from the sudden glow.

The spider monster looked angry at first, but as she took in who she had caught in her web, it quickly dissolved into surprise. Asriel felt something cut him free and he fell forwards. Ryan caught him before he fell on his face.

"Trying to actually eat my friends now Muffet?" Ryan joked.

The spider monster, Muffet, hid her surprise behind a grin. Her glossy black eyes stayed locked on Asriel, however. "Can I be blamed?" she said. "You keep gathering such deliciously interesting monsters around you, and I believe this time you've outdone yourself."

Ryan helped Asriel straighten and then rested his chin and his hands on top of the monster's head. "Thanks," he said. "I try."

"You planned for that to happen, didn't you?" Asriel asked, shaking the human off of him. "I knew there was a reason you weren't using a light."

"There's no getting anything past you, is there Your Highness?" Ryan rubbed the floof on the prince's head playfully then turned back to Muffet. "Not going to the announcement?" he asked.

"I wasn't," she confirmed. "My network would have given me a fair rendition, but with this new development, I may just go in person."

"Good. I don't think it's gonna be something anyone is gonna want to miss."

They left Muffet's cave behind and moved on. "Still trying to supplant rumors?" Asriel asked him.

Ryan smirked. "I might be."

 

The next elevator took them the rest of the way to the castle. Asriel hesitated as he stood at the edge of the sliding doors. All of the sudden he felt as though he was intruding on that place, that to enter would be a criminal act worse than any atrocity he had committed so far. He stared out at the corridor beyond. Its marble floor and candlelit walls seemed to forbid him.

"A little late to take things back," Ryan told him. He stood just beyond the elevator door and was looking down at him. Though he joked, Asriel could see by the patience in his eyes that he understood his difficulty. He swallowed and stepped out of the elevator. "Welcome home," Ryan said.

"Home," Asriel repeated. He was right, he was home. Yet, it didn't feel like it. It had been a long time since the castle felt like home. Another life. "I used to love how big this place was," he said. "I lived here for almost two years and up until the end there were still parts of it I had never been to."

"It is pretty big, huh?" Ryan commented as he glanced around. "How many times do you think it got destroyed in the last two days, six?" Asriel shot him a glance. "Alright, I'll be more serious."

"Where is everyone?" The prince asked.

"Past where the barrier was, come on."

' _Where the barrier_ was _' now there's a statement_ , Asriel thought.

They made their way up the rest of the castle, the lift bringing them to the middle level. They stopped a few times to watch the amassed crowd gathered below, peeking out of the windows and trying to avoid the parapets lest someone with keen eyes or wings see them. The mass of monsters made them made them pick up the pace. They hated to make them wait much longer.

 

Finally, they entered the hallway where more than one battle had taken place to get them to that point. Once more, it had been healed of its scars and looked as pristine as it had the first time Ryan could remember seeing it. Golden light streamed in through the windows like they had on that day as well. A part of him realized that that was just yesterday to the outside world, but it had been so much longer than that for him.

They crossed the hall in silence and entered the throne room. Flowers still bloomed all along the floor and over the walls. An empty chair sat at its center. Its twin still sat in the corner, though Ryan noticed the sheet covering it had been removed.

Ryan turned to the monster at his side. "You ready?" he asked. "They're right through there."

Asriel looked up at him with large, fearful eyes which he quelled with a reassuring smile. Finally, he nodded.

Ryan let the prince go first. They left the throne room and passed into the cave beyond. The buzz of conversation from all of his friends reached him at the threshold, and he could not help but smile to himself. The grin grew wider as he saw them.

Toriel was chatting with Sans and Papyrus, laughing occasionally while Alphys seemed to be vehemently explaining something to Asgore, who only looked confused. Undyne seemed almost as intent as Alphys, paying close attention to what she was saying and nodding in agreement. Whimsalot seemed to regaling his brother and Loox with a tale from his journey while Froggit and Ayame watched. MK and Snowy were playing with Ruby, happy to see that the fire monster had returned to them. Ryan knew she would make it.

When Ryan and Asriel entered the room they all turned to the new arrivals and their faces became shocked.

"What the…?" Undyne started.

"Is that…?" Ayame stammered.

"Well, I'll be," Sans said. "He did it."

Everyone else could merely stare. They all stood frozen as though movement would cast off the illusion they found themselves in.

Ryan took each one of their individual expressions in, until his eyes landed on Toriel. The monster queen's eyes were wider than he ever saw them. Her mouth hung half open. Ryan nodded to her, which seemed to partially break the spell that held her.

Toriel walked up to her child slowly, as if she moved too fast he would disappear. Tears started to run down her cheeks. "Asriel?" she said softly.

Asriel at that point was in tears himself. "That's right, it's me, mom."

Needing nothing else, the two ran to each other and threw their arms around one another. "My son," Toriel whispered through sobs. Asgore also approached the two of them slowly, no more able to believe it himself. Asriel broke away from his mother for a moment and looked at both of them in turn as he wiped at his eyes. And they returned his looks of love with ones just as great. Then he turned his head to Ryan and the king and queen turned theirs as well.

"I told you I'd bring him back," he said simply.

Toriel ran over and hugged Ryan as well. A new episode of tears quickly forming. "Thank you, thank you so much," she said to him over and over. Asriel and Asgore came over and wrapped their arms around him too. Soon everyone else followed as well.

"Guys, remember my body can still be crushed," Ryan grunted and they all quickly let go of him. Everyone was smiling and laughing and it made Ryan feel like he was exactly where he was supposed to be. As the spread back out, Toriel and Asgore embraced their son once again. They rubbed his head and made comment about how he had grown. The fear and doubt was now gone from Asriel's eyes completely, Ryan saw. He had been accepted; everything was going to be alright.

Others surrounded Ryan, and he could see by the looks in their eyes what they wanted. "So, I guess the secret's out now," he said to them.

" _This_ is who you were talking about all that time?" Ruby asked incredulously. "The _prince_?"

"How?" Whimsalot asked him, though the question was clear on all of their faces.

Ryan smirked. "Turns out he was only mostly-"

"Ryan," Asriel interrupted, "I will bury you so far under this mountain that you will turn into a diamond."

"Alphys would probably be able to tell you better than me," he finished instead.

"Why, did she know about this?" Loox asked.

"No, but she knew enough that she's probably pieced it all together already."

The Royal Scientist was hanging back from the rest. Her mouth was running at a mile a minute as she stared of into nothing. Undyne seemed to be losing the battle to keep up.

MK ran up to Asriel as his parents let him go once again. "Yo! Where did you come from?" he asked.

Asriel raised an eyebrow at him. "We're both probably a little young to be asking stuff like that, don't you think?" His words earned him a chuckle from Asgore and a hand over her mouth from Toriel, her cheeks gaining a little color beneath her fur.

Snowy laughed uproariously at the response. "Alright, I like him," he said as he glided over to join MK.

Papyrus stepped up to the prince as well and presented his hand. Asriel took it and the skeleton proceeded to shake him with enough force to make him look woozy. "Papyrus, newest member of the Royal Guard," he said all the while. "It will be my greatest honor to protect you alongside the king and queen, Your Majesty. Fear not! You are in the best and most capable hands imaginable!"

"It's good to meet you Papyrus," Asriel managed through his shaking. After another moment, the skeleton let him go and the prince's eyes glanced across to Sans. A measure of his nervousness returned as he saw the squat skeleton staring at him, but the monster simply nodded at him and Asriel nodded in turn.

More introductions were made, and more stories were shared. Ryan received a hardy slap on the back from Undyne, though she seemed hesitant to go over and greet Asriel herself. Most of Ryan's friends tried too hard to be overly-formal with the prince – Ruby even curtsied. Asriel put a stop to that with quickly with a few causal statements that at any other moment would have probably earned him a lecture from Toriel, and Ryan's fear of losing his tongue became all too realistic.

Soon they had all settled in with one another. Ryan nodded in satisfaction before getting everyone's attention. "Come on," he said. "There's still one other miracle to see today."

"Oh my, I had actually forgotten," Toriel admitted with a giggle.

"He's right though," Undyne added. "We've got a world to see."

 

As one, they left the Underground. They ascended the short remainder of the cave and emerged beneath a canopy of trees. Light poked between the leaves high above as they moved in the gentle breeze. Ryan took a deep breath of the chill autumn air. It had been on a day much like this when his strange journey had first begun. It seemed fitting that he should return to the same. Most of his friends were looking around the forest with eager eyes, drinking everything they could of the new experience.

"Wow," Undyne breathed.

"This is so cool!" MK added.

"This is nothing," Asriel told them. "Just wait." Without another word, he began to lead them onward. Ryan knew where he was taking them but stayed quiet.

They moved through the trees for a bit before coming to a sudden rise. At the top, they were met with the sight of the setting sun from high up the mountain. The entire valley stretched out beneath them, a golden landscape of mystery and wonder.

The monsters were all speechless. Ryan loved the looks on some of their faces.

"Oh my…" Toriel managed. It seemed to break their trance.

"Isn't it beautiful, everyone?" Asgore asked.

"It's even better than on TV." Alphys said. "Way better! Better than I ever imagined."

"So this is the surface…" Snowy whispered. "I could fly anywhere up here."

"Ryan, you lived with this?" Undyne asked him, leaning past everyone to see him. He just shrugged. "The sunlight is so nice… and the air is so fresh! I really feel alive!"

"Hey Sans, what's that giant ball?" Papyrus asked his brother.

"We call that "the sun," my friend."

"That's the sun? Wowie! I can't believe I'm finally meeting the sun!"

"I could stand here and watch this for hours…" Asriel said breathlessly.

Toriel nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, it is beautiful, is it not? It makes me excited for days to come."

"It does, doesn't it?" Undyne agreed. "This is just the beginning, right? I can't wait to get started!"

"It's probably not going to be easy," Ryan told them, "but it'll certainly be interesting."

"I'm ready for it if all of you are," Whimsalot cheered, and they all nodded in agreement.

Asgore cleared his throat. "Everyone, this is the beginning of a bright new future. An era of peace between humans and monsters. We will make it so."

"I'll go make a good first impression!" Papyrus shouted. Before anyone could stop him, he was off running down the mountain.

Sans shrugged in response to his brother's actions. "Welp, someone's gotta keep him from getting into trouble," he said before walking back down to the cave.

Undyne rolled her eyes. "Man, do I have to do everything? Papyrus, wait!" she hurried down the mountain after the skeleton. Alphys chased after her.

"You really did it, huh?" Loox said up to Ryan as he continued to stare out into the sunset.

"It wasn't just me," he told him as he put a hand on Asriel's shoulder. "It was all of us."

"Can I quote you on that?" his friend joked.

"Yo, Snowy," MK spoke up. "Come on. I wanna go tell my parents about this!"

"I'd stick around for a bit longer first if I were you," Ryan told them. "The king still has his speech to make."

Asgore scratched his chin awkwardly. "Yes… I have not actually given it much thought yet." Toriel shot him a look.

"Well, we'll wait for you below then," Whimsalot said. "Come on guys."

The rest of his friends returned to the cave. Then, just the human and the royal family remained watching the sun fall behind the horizon. Toriel and Asgore both had an arm across Asriel's shoulders and Ryan stood a bit to the side. "Ryan," Asgore started, "Thank you. Not only have you helped free us, but you have brought my family back together. I am forever in your debt."

Ryan shrugged. "I did it for my own reasons. You don't owe me anything."

"Nevertheless," Toriel maintained. "If there is anything you could ever need from us, do not hesitate to ask."

"The only thing I want is to stick around for the days to come and see what happens."

"You are not going to return to your old life?" Asgore asked him.

Ryan shook his head. "This is my life now," he said. "Here, with all of you. And besides, I went through a lot to get Asriel back. I may as well get to know him." The young monster chuckled.

"Then might you be willing to be our ambassador to the humans?" Asgore asked him.

"Of course," Ryan agreed.

"I never thought I would see this day," Toriel said after a moment of silence. "Finally, we can begin to rebuild."

"There is much to do," Asgore added.

"Then I suppose we should get started."

The two began to make their way back to the cave as well. Toriel stopped as she saw Asriel and Ryan were not following.

"We'll be there in a minute," Asriel told her before she could ask. The monster nodded and left them alone.

"So, it looks like you managed to get your happy ending after all," the prince said as they stared over the valley. The sun had now nearly disappeared, and the cloudless sky now burned a bright red that faded to purple as it soared over their heads.

Ryan nodded. "For now. But I have the feeling our story is far from over."

Asriel reached out and gripped his hand tightly. The gesture surprised Ryan and he looked down to see the monster had tears in his eyes once more. He said nothing though and let the monster have his moment.

They caught sight of Undyne and Alphys returning with Papyrus in tow. They waved to them as they passed.

"Guess it's time to go too," Asriel said. He let go of Ryan's hand, but Ryan stayed where was.

"I'll be right behind you," he told the monster.

"You're not going to disappear on me too, are you?" Asriel had meant it as a joke, but Ryan could hear a measure of real fear behind the question.

"I think you'll find it will be very hard to get rid of me, Asriel," he assured him. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere.

The monster nodded, and went to join the others.

Ryan gave one last look over the cliff. It was, of course, the same cliff that the hiking trail was famous for. It was the one he had been on more times than he could count, reflecting on the past and thinking about the future. So much had happened since the last time he had been up there and even more was sure to follow.

Once more, he found himself looking out at the world and thinking about everything in his life. He smiled. "Not yet," he told the world.

He turned his back to the cliff and went back down below.

 

The city of New Home was filled to the brim. As monsters gathered from all corners of the Underground in the wake of the barrier shattering, the streets and buildings were saturated to the point where there was little room left to even move. Monsters stood on rooftops or in windows or flew through the sky to catch a glimpse of whatever happened next. It would be an event spoken of for generations to come, and every monster patiently held their breaths for the words of their King and the news that he brought of their future.

Ryan looked out over the balcony that extended out of castle wall out to the city below. He could feel the anticipation in the air and was surprised not to see electricity sparking between the eyes of the millions who stared back up him. It was quiet enough that he did not want to speak, as though doing so would somehow break the magic of the moment. "I think that should be enough time for everyone to have made it," Toriel said as she stepped up behind him. For the first time he could ever remember, the monster was not wearing her normal robes. Instead she wore an elegant gown, purple down its center and white down the sides. Golden embroidery made a web over the center, depicting vines and flowers. The delta rune sat atop her breast.

"I hope so," he said. He had been wrong, his excitement only built as what was to come came closer.

"Are we ready then?" Asgore joined the two of at the wall, though he stayed well away from it to not be seen from below. The King of Monsters wore his armor plate, fixed of dents and polished to a mirror sheen. A purple cloak was pinned to his gorget and a golden crown rested on his head. All ceremony would be observed on this day. It deserved it like no other.

Ryan himself had even been given formal wear. They had tried to dress him up in a matter befitting a member of the royal family at first, but he felt in odd in the white and purple suit and had eventually convinced them to go with black. The suit looked like military dress from a bygone age. A double row of white buttons ran down the front, the delta rune was embroidered on the back. He had rejected the cape, feeling it was a bit much. Though now as he saw the king and queen, he felt underdressed by comparison.

Even all of his friends had been dressed up for the event. They seemed to be enjoying it to various degrees, however. They lined the wall behind the balcony, an honor guard like no other. Only one was missing from their ranks, and his excitement grew further as he thought about what was to come again.

"The people graciously await your words, My King." Toriel said, and for a wonder she did not sound condescending.

Asgore nodded and walked down to the bottom of the balcony that towered over the middle of the city. In the center a plinth had been set up and spells had been woven throughout the city so that any in the cavern could hear what was about to be said. The King took the stand and Toriel and Ryan flanked him on either side, hanging back slightly.

The silence was palpable now, and Ryan felt frozen in place as Asgore cleared his throat and began to speak. "My people," he said in a powerful voice, "for a millennium this mountain has been all we have known. These caves and caverns have been our homes, our lives, our legacy. For generations, that legacy has been one of hope, hope for the day when we would once again know more than just the stone that surrounds us. For generations we held strong, believing that this imprisonment would not be eternal. And today, that day has come." He paused as a cheer passed through the crowd. With a wave of his hand, they quieted again.

"When I last stood before you such as this," he went on, "I was enraged. That day, for the second time in my life, humans had taken everything from me. They stole my family, and they stole my hope. And on that day I railed out against them, promising vengeance instead of freedom. And yet, on this day, it was due to the actions of a human that we are now free, and I realized I have been wrong.

"Humanity is not our enemy, it is hatred. Hatred, I have found, is something that both monsters and humans are very capable of. It is a powerful force, able to poison the future, to push people towards things that they would not normally do or say. And it is this force we must defeat if we wish to make peace on the surface and live out our days under the sky once more.

"But that is all thought for another night. Tonight is a night of celebration, one where we look happily to the future, for today is the day when monsters are set free." The crowd cheered once more, and as they did, Toriel stepped up and whispered to Asgore. "Ah yes," he said as she moved away. "The queen would like me to clarify that we will not necessarily be calling this day that…" The city filled with laughter, Ryan laughed as well. "Before the festivities begin," the king continued. "I would like someone else to say a few words. Before today, I would have considered him an enemy, but now I am proud to count him as an ally, and indeed as a friend. He will be one to us all in the days to come as we forge our way onto the surface."

Asgore waved his hand to the side and stepped down from the promenade. Ryan stepped up in his place. He eyed the crowd, silently awaiting what he had to say, and felt his mouth go dry. "You'll have to forgive me," he began. "I'm not nearly as good of an orator as His Majesty." That earned him a few chuckles. He took that as a good sign. "We'll get the obvious out the way first, I guess. Some of you already know me from one or another misadventure, but for those who don't, my name is Ryan, and I am a human."

He let that sink in for a moment before going on. "For a year I lived down here with all of you. In that time, I learned what my ancestors did to you, and I have felt firsthand the hatred that their actions have left you with. But I have also known friendship, greater than any I had ever known on the surface.

"I know that the question on most of your minds must be, 'why?' Why would a human want to free you, to help you?

"When I first fell down here, I fell in love with this place. I found it amazing. I remember thinking to myself that I could stay here forever, and I remember planning on doing just that. But I realized that was not the will of monsters. And as the one who held the power of that decision in my hand, I felt that I could not give in to my selfishness. I had justified it to myself for some time that the surface was too dangerous a place to let monsters into, that humanity would quickly and efficiently wipe them away for good. But I came to realize that it wasn't up to me to make that decision. Monsters deserved a chance to prove themselves, and so it has been given.

"Believe me, I hope with all my heart that things go smoothly. That humanity will be able to see monsters' kindness and accept them as I have. But, if it does come to the worst," Ryan looked to his sides, and his friend all nodded back at him. "I, and all those before you here, will do everything in our power to make sure that you stay safe. Each of them deserves just as much credit for this day as me. They have already proven more than capable of holding their own against humans. They are some of the strongest and bravest people I have ever known, and I am proud to call them friends." He paused, smiling down at the crowd. They were silent, as if they could sense there was more to come, and Ryan would not leave them hanging. "But there is one other who will stand for us as well," he continued. "One that we all thought lost to us for a long time."

Ryan spread his arms out wide. "Ladies and gentlemen, monsters one and all, it is with great pleasure that I present to you your prince!" He let the word hang, breathing in the moment that would cement the future with two words: "Asriel Dreemurr," he finished. And the city cried out in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all very much. It has been one hell of a ride, and now there's just a little bit left.  
> Then it will be time for the next story.


	63. An Ending

After the speech, the celebration began in full swing. Residents of the city opened their doors to all, and the visitors from the other parts of the Underground were welcomed with open arms. Friendships were made, stories were shared, and parties were certainly had. They spilled out into the streets where at every corner monsters put on magical performances of light and fire and all other manners of spells at their disposal to hold the captivated eye. But none, of course, could rival that of Mettaton's. The robot did indeed put on the show of his life, with music and dancing and, for the first time, allowing fans to come up on stage and join him. It was a night that none of them, least of all Nabstablook, who found the confidence to be on stage as well, would soon forget.

While the millions of monsters in the streets partied their minds out, the castle opened its doors as well, though, truly, they were never closed. The heroes of the day took up residence in the top floors with their families alongside the king and queen and prince. The lower floors were given over to those who could not grab a space out in the city, or were currently in transit between one party and another.

Once things began to settle down in the castle, the king and queen enjoyed their first meal as a family again. And, indeed, their family was now bigger than they could have ever imagined. Not only did they get their son back, but in the span of a day they felt they had gained many more children as well (though some would reject the notion of being labeled as such). Abandoning the idea of all of them being able to fit in their small dining room, they took to one of the many halls in the castle and still filled it to the brim.

Spirits were high, and they sored throughout the night. But, for a few, the troubles of the day were not over yet.

Alphys squeezed her eyes shut as she waited for a reaction. There was none. Hesitantly, she stole a glance at what everyone was doing. She had expected yelling, screaming, appall, or at the very least rude remarks, but they were doing… nothing.

The gathered monsters simply stared up, blank expressions on their face, at the creatures before them. The amalgamates were equally as statuesque. This was the first time they had been out of the basement levels of the lab, and they were unsure what to make of their surroundings.

She had stolen one of the out of the way rooms at the bottom floor of the castle for this reveal – no, that was the wrong word; this was an admission. It access to the elevators connecting it to the core and allowed her to sneak them in without causing a major uproar, which she had expected to be the most likely outcome, not nothing.

Eventually, Alphys could not take the silence anymore. "W-well?" she instigated.

One of the dogs blinked. "This is all of them?" they asked, pointing at the largest of the amalgamates.

Alphys looked up at Endogeny. The massive dog creature panted as it stood in place at her shoulder. "Yup," the doctor admitted. "All sixteen of them…"

"Well," Snowy's dad began, as equally unsure of what to make of all of this, "this is all… very hard to take in."

Just then, Snowy came bursting through the door at the back of the room. Alphys turned her head and jolted in surprise. She had messaged him the news like everyone else, but she had been unsure if he was going to come – he had been in the middle of an act – so she had started without him. The young monster flew between his father and the creature that included his mother. He stopped short as he was taken aback by her appearance, but the fear in his eyes lasted only a moment.

"M-mom?" he voiced, approaching much more slowly now.

For a moment, the amalgamate did nothing. Then, it slowly turned its head towards the drake. Its eyes, typically vacant, cleared and focused on the young monster. "Snow…y," it said lethargically. "I… missed… you… so much."

The drake's eyes filled with tears and his mouth fell open. "Mom!" He flew over to the creature and wrapped his wings around it in an embrace. The moment seemed to break the tension of everyone else as well. They began to approach the amalgamates as if they were any other monster, warming up to the idea of them.

Alphys breathed a sigh of relief. It was more than she had ever expected by far. Ruby put a hand on her shoulder and the doctor smiled back at her. She was glad the monster had agreed to join her. She did not think she would have been able to go through with it if she had gone alone.

After a moment, Snowy's father walked over to her. "I wasn't sure what to expect when I got your message," he said. "It certainly wasn't this."

"I'm sorry," Alphys said for what felt like the thousandth time since she had begun. She bowed her head.

The monster shook his own. "No," he said, "I should be thanking you. My wife, she wasn't going to make it. We all knew it. The fact that you brought her back, in any capacity, is a miracle. You have nothing to be ashamed of Doctor." Alphys was taken aback as the Snowdrake rejoined his wife and son.

The monsters and the amalgamates all rejoined the parties after a few more minutes, leaving Ruby and the doctor alone in that far-off corner of the castle. Alphys's fear that her accidents' presence would cause a panic had vanished. She had honestly not expected that to go so well. A part of her almost wished it had not; she did not think she deserved to get away with what she did… "See?" Ruby said, breaking her from her thought. "I told you it would all work out just fine. All of this hanging out with humans is making us paranoid."

Alphys forced herself to nod. "Even if it hadn't, I think I'd still be just as relieved." That was the truth, at least. It felt good to finally be able to say, "It's over."

"I'm glad you told all of us, Alphys," the fire monster went on. "It wasn't right to have that eating at you."

"I know. It was the least I could do after…" she did not need to say it. They both understood. "I just wish the queen hadn't fired me… Though I suppose that is fair."

"I doubt you'll be out of work long once we get to the surface," Ruby assured her. "The humans will be blown away by what you can do."

"Hopefully not literally…" the doctor mumbled to herself. Then a different thought crept to the front of her mind. "Do you really think Undyne doesn't hate me now?"

"Of course she doesn't," Ruby told her. "That's not why she didn't come with you. You know better than anyone how narrow-focused she can get when it comes to fighting. Now, come on." The fire monster began pushing towards the door excitedly. "Let's get back before we miss it!"

 

"You absolutely sure about this?" Ryan asked for about the fifth time in as many minutes. Asriel rolled his eyes as he finished tying off the tape he wrapped around his knuckles and forearms.

He bit off the roll and tossed it to the human who looked at it like it might come alive on him. "Yes, I'm sure," he told him. "No, you can't stop me. You said it yourself, the best way for me to get used to my body again is to push myself."

Ryan put the roll of tape down on the stool next him. It and its twin on which Asriel sat were the only things in the ready room. "Yes, but this may be a bit much, if only for the heart attack you must be giving Toriel right now," he argued.

"Monsters don't have hearts," Asriel reminded him. "At least not the physical ones."

"I'm sure the feeling is still the same…"

The prince stood up and clenched his hands, testing his work. He took a few test jabs at the air, bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet. There was almost no lag. He felt much better now that he had gotten some food in him. "May I remind you this is _Undyne_ we're talking about here," he went on. "If I had said no, do you really think she would have given up?"

The human's expression said he relinquished that point. "I still find it hard to believe that you two have _any_ history between you, let alone a score to settle."

Asriel brought his leg up and kicked the air, testing his balance. "Technically, she's two years younger than me," he told him.

Ryan stared blankly down at the prince for a moment and then shook his head. "I'm not gonna think about that."

Asriel resettled himself and turned to the overly distraught human. "The way I see it, it's better to get this out of the way now rather than later. Plus, I'll have you at my back, right? So I should be fine."

That time it was Ryan's turn to roll his eyes. "I just didn't take you to be the type to jump to a fight," he told him.

"I'm not," he assured him. "Again, this _is_ Undyne we're dealing with. It just makes the most sense. Are you ready?"

The man shrugged. He still did not like the whole idea. "I'm always ready," he told him.

The two walked out to the courtyard and into a sea of applause. Apparently rumor had spread. Monsters had filled the balconies surrounding them and lined the tops of the walls further up. Ryan spotted the king and queen and his friends on one of the balconies.

Toriel looked like she was ready to jump out of her seat to stop them at a moment's notice. Asgore's expression was a bit more relaxed, but he looked like he did not know how to feel about this either. He also saw that Loox and Whimsalot were orchestrating bets on the fight. He could see from the chalkboard Look held over his head – likely stolen from somewhere – that the odds were pretty stacked against anyone trying to get a hit in on him, although it seemed like they got a lot of people to bet on how Asriel inevitably got is butt handed to him. Ryan had witnessed a bit of a friendly rivalry develop between the prince and some of his friends over the course of the night. Probably due to the fact that he had spent so much time fussing over the young monster.

Undyne and Karim waited for them at the other side of the courtyard. Both of the monsters looked more than eager, and Ryan found himself sharing in their excitement. It had been too long since he had been able to fight for fun. The combatants went to stand before each other in the center of the ring that had been marked off by red chalk on the dirt. The four stared each other down as the king rose from the chair. "Are the fighters ready?" he called. They all nodded. "Shake!"

Asriel and Undyne touched their right forearms together. "I hope age hasn't slowed you down at all Undyne," the prince said. "It would be a shame if you were even worse than you were back then."

"Oh, I've only gotten better," she said back, "and you'll find out exactly how much better when I shove your face into the ground. You sure you're up to this after you've been napping for so long?"

"Always ready to knock you down a peg," he countered.

Ryan was surprised by their smack talk. Looking down at the monster, it was hard to remember that Asriel was no longer the innocent prince of old. He needed to stop seeing him as such or he would be living in a perpetual state of shock. He turned to Karim and they shook hands. "No insults?" he asked.

The dragon monster wore a wide grin, showing off his sharp teeth. "You'll have to forgive me. I'm far too excited to come up with anything at the moment." Ryan sighed.

"Take your places!" The king called. Asriel and Karim shook as well before backing away. Ryan and Undyne high-fived and went to join their partners. Asgore raised his hand into the air as he looked to both teams then he thrust it down. "Begin!"

 

Asriel anticipated the first spear and stepped to the side as it flew past his face without even blinking. It crashed into the wall behind him, kicking up a cloud of dust. Same old Undyne. The fact that she appeared behind him to strike while he was off balance though, that was newer. Unfortunately, he knew her current fighting style just as well as her old. Better, in fact.

The prince leaned to the left and caught the strike that was meant to hit him in the back of the head. He immediately brought his other elbow around to catch Undyne in the side, but she caught him as he had her. Adjusting his hold on her arm, he pulled the guardswoman forward. He filled himself with energy to fuel his enhancement – he was quickly becoming used to the way it worked for him now – and threw Undyne over his shoulder, slamming her into the ground.

Undyne quickly recovered and rose back to her feet. "You got better," she said with a modicum of respect.

"Told you." The prince spared a glance over to Ryan. He and Karim were going at it in a furry of clashing blades. As he watched, Ryan had found an opening. Dropping one of his swords he landed a blow on the monster's mid that send him flying backwards. He slid next to Undyne as he recovered.

"Just like old times, huh?" Karim said.

"A little too much, if you ask me," Undyne commented.

"Well, we should change that then."

"Yes, we should."

Undyne came at Asriel again. He blocked her first swing and then her second. Pain shot up his arms as he did. He tried not to let it overwhelm him, the sensation still new enough to be debilitating if he let his mind lose focus. The prince countered, but Undyne turned it away. "I realized something," she said.

"That I'll always be better than you?" Asriel mocked.

"No, that I should stop holding back against you." Her foot collided with his chest and was sent flying. He felt something hit his back before everything went dark. A moment later, Ryan was pulling him up, chunks of stone falling away around him as he was removed from the wall.

"You alright?" Ryan asked his look betraying far more concern than his voice.

Asriel's body felt like it was on fire, but it quickly faded as the damage was healed by whatever power he had gained from the human. "Yeah," he said. "Just still getting the hang of this." He looked up at where his parents sat. His mom was leaning over the railing. He tried to give her a reassuring look.

Ryan's hand shot out and caught a spear that was heading straight for Asriel's head, making him jump. "Well, I'd be quick about it if I were you," the human said. Then he vanished.

Asriel turned his attention back to the fight. He pulled off his shirt, now in tatters, and stepped back into the ring. "Believe me, I'm just getting started."

Asriel and Undyne stared each other down for a moment before a number of spears burst into the air around her. The prince made no move to do anything about them. They hurtled towards him, threatening to run him through. But as they neared they fell away to nothing. He started walking towards her. "You never learn, Undyne."

Fire sprung to life around the prince's hands and the two monsters traded blows once more. Asriel moved off of instincts he did not even know he had. Block, punch, kick, dodge. He managed to keep Undyne on her back foot, on the defensive. Every so often another spear would materialize that he would instantly destroy. His heightened senses allowed him to differentiate them from everything else much better than he once could, allowing him to use his own resonance with much more confidence than he once had.

He had hated the fact that he had the power to destroy things with a thought, but now he had a different perspective on things, and he saw its uses. Plus, he knew of things that were a lot worse now. A few he found he had to actively fight using as a strike from the other monster would catch him off guard, giving her more than one free hit on him. The damage healed quickly enough though and the bout continued.

"You know, it was bad enough having one brick wall I had to fight against. Two of them is just unfair."

Asriel smirked. "Sorry Undyne. Can't control it."

"Then it's a good thing I win just by scoring more hits on you this time around, and by my count I'm winning by a landslide."

"I'm afraid that's about to change, Undyne."

"And what makes you so sure about that?"

"It's something I learned from you: always have another trick up your sleeve."

Vines erupted from the ground. They snaked their way up to Undyne who jumped back in response. More vines sprouted out of the ground around them as she landed. They continued to grow, becoming as thick as she was tall as she jumped again to avoid them. They coiled around each other, shooting up into the air to try to reach her, kicking up chunks of earth and stone as they grew. None succeeded in catching his opponent, however, as she continued to bound away from his spell. Then, she was over his head and came down in a hail of spears.

Asriel destroyed the ones that threatened him. The rest landed in a ring at his feet. He blocked Undyne herself with another vine and pushed her away with it. She landed on her feet and smiled at him. "You're going to have to do a lot better than that," she told him.

Asriel looked at her curiously. "What? You didn't think I was actually trying to hit you with any of that, did you?" Undyne returned his puzzled look with one of her own. Asriel picked up a pebble in his hand, about the size of a marble. To his eye, a red line ran out of it. He held it out for Undyne to see. "Ryan wasn't the only one I stole some abilities from," he said, then flicked the pebble into the air.

A larger boulder that had been displaced by the vines shot across the courtyard and collided with Undyne before continuing on to crash into the wall. Asriel instantly fell to his knees, drained, the spell having taken much more out of him than he expected. How had Chara been able to deal with that? He asked himself.

The prince realized his error in using that ability a moment too late. Before he could recover, Karim appeared before him, halberd poised to strike. Asriel flinched, trying to do something, but he was out of strength, and unlike Ryan, drawing from himself would kill him.

The blow never landed. Asriel heard metal collide with metal and looked up to see steel bars separating him and the other monster. Bonds of light held Karim's wrists and ankles in place. He looked at the wall. It extended all the way across the courtyard and up one of the walls to where Toriel's hand rested on the balcony's railing. "I think that is enough for one day." She announced. He tone brooked no argument.

 

The crowd was funneled away as Ryan helped Undyne back to her feet. Fearing the queen's wrath, they all quickly sought entertainment elsewhere. There had been no cries for more and barely even any clapping as he and Asriel were announced the victors.

"Damn," Undyne groaned as she rubbed her head. "You weren't kidding about him."

"I tried to warn you," he told her. "He's no pushover anymore."

"That just made me want to fight him more!"

Ryan shook his head. "Well, if nothing else, I think it helped his confidence a little. That is, if Toriel doesn't kill all of us now."

The monster recovered quickly and slapped him on the shoulder, grin on her face. "Welp, I'll leave you to deal with that. I'm gonna go find Alphys. Need to make sure she's not mad at me for not going with her." She quickly departed. Karim departed as well with a nod. Asriel went to go get a new shirt, leaving Ryan alone in the courtyard. He glanced around at the damage Asriel's magic had done to the place and could not help but be impressed. He could do with learning some subtly, however.

He was then met with MK running up to him. Ryan was surprised to find him alone and wondered where Snowy had gone off to. "Yo!" he said excitedly. "That was so awesome! The prince was all like _whoosh_ 'ha!' and Undyne was like _bam!_ "

The monster pantomimed the fight while Ryan smiled to himself. "You're not upset that your hero was beat up?"

MK looked confused for a moment. "Who, Undyne? Well…" His tail started to flick awkwardly from side to side. "Yeah, about that… She's not really my hero anymore. Between you and me, she's kinda mean. Don't worry though. I've found someone much cooler to be my hero. Nyeh heh heh!" The monster ran off without another word.

The king joined him in the courtyard after. Asriel's vines had disappeared when he had left, but the ground they had torn up remained. As he passed by, the rock and dirt around Asgore floated up into the air and resettled as though time suddenly flowed in reverse, and soon the courtyard looked like it had never seen the battle at all. Ryan made note to get him to show him how to do that.

"That was quite the performance," Asgore said to him.

Ryan nodded. "Your son has quite the ability when it comes to magic, Your Majesty."

Asgore chuckled. "He takes after his mother in that regard. He shares her curiosity as well as her ability to absorb everything around her. They are like sponges for knowledge, those two, and they are very good at wielding it as well. And, please, none of the formalities. I as far as I'm concerned, you are a part of my family now." The king glanced up at the walls where a few remaining monsters were laughing merrily with one another. "I wish that days like this were all that waited for us in the future," he said. "But, alas, things are never that simple, are they?" He looked to Ryan. "Shall we get started?"

Ryan nodded in agreement. "I'll start gathering everyone."

 

Several hours later, Ryan was walking along the upper walls of the castle, trying to escape all of the commotion for a moment. The night air was warm and still felt less stale now that the barrier had been shattered. He leaned against the waist high walls, taking another sip of his drink, and watched the fake stars sparkle in the ceiling high above. He didn't notice Asriel walk up behind him until he spoke up. "Howdy," he said simply. It actually made Ryan jump.

"Jeez, if you were able to sneak up on me, I must have had more to drink that I thought." They both laughed. "So what brings you up here?" he asked.

The monster looked down awkwardly. "Actually I was hoping I'd find you. Though I wasn't really sure what to do when I did…"

"You wanna just talk then?" Ryan suggested.

"Sure." Asriel swung himself onto the ledge and looked out over the city as well.

Ryan's eyes went to the prince. He did not really look much different now, just a little older. He had managed to find another shirt, this one varying shades of blue. His jeans now had a few small tears in them from the fight. His emerald eyes gleamed under the reflection of the night sky. "Think you're used to your body again yet?" he asked him.

Asriel looked down at his hands. "My depth perception is still a little off," he said. "I keep going to grab something without really looking and I overshoot by a bit. Other than that, I feel fine. Better than fine, actually."

They sat in silence for another moment and then Ryan asked, "Not going to spend more time with your family?"

The monster looked down at him. "You are a part of my family."

"I wouldn't go that far." Ryan told him taking another sip of his drink. "Besides, I'm a bad influence. Once your parents realize that they might not want me around you that much."

Asriel snorted. "Are you kidding me? You know they've been setting up a room for you for the past hour now, right? And they've done nothing but talk about going on a trip, 'as a family.' It wouldn't surprise me if they made a formal announcement by morning. Face it you're stuck in this now. You had your chance to run." They both laughed again.

"As long as it's not too official," Ryan told him. "'Ryan Dreemurr'? Doesn't really have a good ring to it."

"I'm sure we could work something out," Asriel assured him.

They were quiet for a while, taking in the sounds of celebration far below. "Things are about to get interesting, aren't they?" Asriel asked eventually.

"You could argue that they've always been interesting."

"This is different though, I think. I don't really know how to describe it. It's like the world has changed, and I mean that in more than the obvious ways."

Ryan did not say anything at first. He stared into his drink. ""Yeah, I think I understand what you mean," he said after a time. "In the world above, this world," he gestured to the Underground around him "was just a video game. One I played a long time ago. Or at least it feels like a long time ago. There's no telling where that might lead."

"A video game…" Asriel said softly. He seemed to be staring a thousand miles away. Eventually, he just nodded and wrapped his arms around Ryan. "Thank you," he said through tears. Ryan patted the monster on his head.

They stayed like that for a while, until Asriel was finally out of tears. "You wanna go back in yet?" Ryan said as he let the monster go.

"No I like it out here."

"Me too. It's too loud down there anyway." They both laughed. "What do you wanna talk about now?" Ryan asked.

Asriel thought a moment. "Well, I realized that I know almost nothing about who you really are. So, what did you used to do, before you came here?"

Ryan's mouth hung open as he struggled to come up with an answer. "Not much really…" he finally said.

Asriel gave him a doubtful look. "Really? I seriously doubt that you have no interesting stories."

Ryan thought for another second, and then smiled. "Ever heard of paintball?" he asked. The monster shook his head and Ryan's smile grew. "Well then, let me tell you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp folks, I never thought I would see this day, but that's pretty much it for this one. Thanks for joining me on this crazy adventure. It was a pleasure and an experience. Thank you to everyone for all of the kind words and your patience throughout the last 19 months. I hope this turned out to be something worth sticking around for.
> 
> With that being said, Ryan's story of his time in the Underground may be over, but his journey does not end there. Many more stories remain to be told, both his and others'. This is only the beginning.
> 
> Now I'm going to disappear for a couple of months while I hammer out the first two drafts of the next story. I'll be sure to post updates to the progress of that here on my profile, and I'll be putting more frequent updates up on my tumblr. In the meantime, a few sporadic things may pop up, but nothing major until the next big project starts. And don't worry, you'll know it when you see it.
> 
> Until then, have a good one.  
> See you next time.


	64. Good Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lied.

Click.

… _unrest continues as night falls over the nation. Countries all over the world seem to have been effected by the event that occurred earlier today. Indeed, all of humanity seems to be in the grip of panic as a result of-_

Click.

… _still unclear as to just what the explosion was. The initial shockwave was felt nearly a thousand miles away, and reports of the light that followed have been reported all across the globe. It is unknown if this has done any permanent harm to the planet that will cause further catastrophe in the near future, but that thought seems to be the last thing on people's minds at the moment._

Click.

… _are still talking about the light that passed like a wave over the world earlier today. Theories quickly spread through social media as to its origin and meaning, ranging from secret government projects to aliens to the rapture. But as news of what began happening after started to spread, the theories took a different turn._

Click.

… _lights in the form of hearts have appeared on the chests of nearly every human being on the planet. Mixed with this are countless posts containing what can only be described as "supernatural phenomenon", from people hurling fire, to lifting cars in the air with their minds, and more besides._

Click.

… _People are urged to remain calm until the situation becomes clear. Remain indoors, and stay safe. Earlier the President put out a statement denying any government involvement and-_

Click.

… _riots and general panic. In short, the people are afraid, and nobody has any real answers._

Click.

… _In more recent news, we have more on the story that started when satellite footage from an investigation of the explosion's source was leaked onto YouTube. The video showed that there seemed to be no physical damage to the epicenter._

Click.

… _even odder is what comes after: the video shows a number of figures looking out over a cliff just hours after the event. Analysis of the video has revealed no evidence of tampering, and yet the majority of the figures appear to not be human. Spec-_

Click.

… _arguments seem to have been going back and forth online from the moment the video first went up, with the majority claiming that the scene bares resemblance to the once popular video game: Undertale. Critics-_

Click.

The young child blinked as the TV screen suddenly went black. After images of the news anchor still hung inside of a green box while the images of what they had all been talking about hung beyond.

"Don't watch any of that, sweetie," the young child's mother said from behind the couch. "It'll just give you the wrong idea about whatever's happening." A hand brushed through the young child's hair. "I wish they would just report the facts and not every ounce of speculation they can get their hands on…" The child's mother dropped the remote down on the couch and left the room, continuing to mumble away her own worries. The soft click of the door followed her out.

Her words were forgotten in the young child's mind before she was even gone. A hand reached up to clutch at a light that had not been there the day before; a light in the shape of a red heart.

A feeling stirred beneath it.


End file.
